


The New Hellmouth: The Benefactor

by iKnightWriter



Series: The New Hellmouth [6]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Allison Comes Back From France, Allison Lives, Alpha Scott McCall, Anniversaries, Assassins & Hitmen, Beta Liam, Bisexual Male Character, Danny Knows, De-Aged Derek, Deja Vu, Derek and Stiles are Mates, Eichen | Echo House, Female Stiles Stilinski, Flashbacks, Gen, Isaac Lahey & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Manipulative Peter, Minor Allison Argent/Scott McCall, Minor Danny Mahealani/Stiles Stilinski, Nogitsune Trauma, Scott McCall & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Supernatural Elements, The Chemist - Freeform, The Mute, The Orphans - Freeform, Time Skips, Wendigo, Wolfsbane as Weapon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-21
Updated: 2015-04-12
Packaged: 2018-03-08 12:36:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 109,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3209480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iKnightWriter/pseuds/iKnightWriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Scott, Stiles, Landon and Kira return to a new semester of school with more human worries than supernatural, while also trying to help their new friend, Micah, integrate back into society. But Kate Argent’s surprising resurrection brings a new threat to Beacon Hills along with the emergence of another mysterious enemy known simply as The Benefactor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dark Moon pt.1

**Author's Note:**

> It's here guys! It's finally here! After months of writing and rewriting the new season 4 of Hellmouth starts today! Yay! Now there are a couple of things that you NEED to know. If you followed the series you know that I didn't do some of things that the show actually did, therefore things will be different. Especially with two of the characters, that were gone in canon, still being in the series. So they maybe slightly OC. I tried my hardest with them and that's all I can really say. 
> 
> Now the updating schedule is going to be different. I unfortunately can't update both parts together due to school and work. Therefore, updates are on Wednesdays with the parts separated. But don't worry I am really good with keeping my update schedule.
> 
> Let's get this season started, yeah?

In Mexico, there was a village that sat on top of a mesa right in the middle of the desert. Right now, both Stiles Stilinski and Landon Martin found themselves in the heart of the town walking around casually. If your definition of casually was sticking close together like siamese twins, then yeah they were. The town was busy as the residences were all minding their own business as they seek relief from the desert sun.

"This doesn't  _seem_  so bad." Stiles commented to Landon as they walked through the town square. Landon had been on guard and agitated the moment they entered the town.

"It's not the town," Landon muttered looking behind them, "It's the  _plan_."

"What's wrong with the plan?"

This caused Landon to stop and stare at Stiles, "Stiles. This could be the stupidest plan we've ever come up with." Landon claimed her, "You're aware of that, right?"

Stiles knew that Landon had a point. What they came here to do was borderline a suicide mission. Especially for those that were involved in the making and the actions needed for the plan.

Stiles looked around at the town, "I'm aware it's not our best." She confessed to him and continued on walking.

"We are going to die." Landon told her as they neared their destination. He continued to look around them. It was like the townspeople had no idea about the kind of things that went on in their own backyard.

"Are you saying that as a Reaper," Stiles asked, "Or are you just being pessimistic?"

"I'm saying it as a person who doesn't wanna die." Landon corrected her.

"Okay." Stiles completely understood. Aside from all the other plans they have conjured up over the past year, this plan was probably the most stupid one. These weren't normal people they were about to deal with.

"Would you just mind restricting any talk of death to actual Reaper predictions?" Stiles asked, "Besides I put a force field around us. No way is anyone going to be able to hurt us."

"Are you sure that was good idea?" Landon questioned. This time Stiles stopped at the question, "With everything going-"

"We'll be fine." Stiles assured him cutting him off, not wanting to talk about what had been happening over the past two months.

"But your condition-"

"The sooner we get this done the better." Stiles cuts him easily before the conversation could go any farther.

Landon didn't hide the worried expression that he felt falling on his face, "This plan is still stupid." He shared with her and led them back to walking.

"We've had worse."

They approached a doorway, but their entry was blocked by two men. Both of them had their arms crossed giving them a clear message that they weren't going to get in so easily. Out of a familiar leather jacket, Stiles removed a large card with a stylized skull on the front. She showed it to the men and looked directly at the security camera in the corner. Via radio, the two teens were allowed to enter.

As they walked down a darkened hallway, "That was nerve wrecking already." Landon whispered to Stiles as they made their way to two large wooden doors down the hall.

"And we haven't gotten to the hard part yet." Stiles agreed with him.

When they reached the double doors, Stiles was just about to push them open when Landon took a hold of her wrist. Stiles knew what was about to come next, "Stiles just try not to overdo it." Landon advised her.

**FLASHBACK**

In the vet's office everyone is outside the examination door, while there's thrashing going around in the examination room. Thankfully, the actual office is closed.

"Are you sure  _that_  was such a good idea?" Isaac Lahey asks as he stood up to put his weight against the door.

The sound of Stiles screaming and glass shattering fills the air from inside the room. He peers into the window of the door and sees that the metal examination table, which is usually placed in the middle of the room, is now being levitated in the air.

"Probably not, but in order for the plan to work she needs to learn control first." Deaton tells them.

"How long do you think she can keep this up?" Landon asks. The last time he had seen Stiles like this was when she attacked and killed Kali and nearly attacked Aiden.

"I'm not sure," Deaton tells them, "Without the link to him she could go on for hours."

"What if she has an anchor?" Scott McCall suggests to Deaton and Deaton looks quite impressed at Scott's suggestion.

"You mean like a werewolf?" Isaac asks him.

"Scott maybe onto something." Landon tells them, catching onto what Scott was saying, "When Stiles was about to attack Aiden I managed to bring her back somehow."

"Think you can do it again?" Scott asks him.

"Not with her not knowing if he's actually okay." Deaton tells them, "However, the closest thing to him could work." Deaton suggests while everyone turns to eye at Isaac.

"Oh not again." Isaac whines, "He isn't even an Alpha anymore."

"He's got a point," Deaton realizes, "It may not work since the change of status."

"You’ve said so yourself, there still things to be discovered with the bond.” Deaton knew Landon had a point, “We have to at least try." Landon tells them as the sound of Stiles screaming suddenly fills the examination room, "Isaac, you're the only one here that had a connection to him just as strong as Stiles."

Isaac looks thoughtful for a moment, "Well as long as it's not to a sacrificial tree." Isaac comments just before he quickly makes his way into the room.

Everyone stays out in the lobby as another scream and the sound of a roar fills the air just before a blue light and a loud crash fills the air. Then it is dead silent. Scott and the others are just about to go into the room, when the door suddenly opens with Isaac carrying an unconscious Stiles in his arms.

**END FLASHBACK**

Stiles gave him a nod and pressed ahead, opening the doors on a packed dance club. The music was loud, the lights were flashing and dozens of people were dancing. From a bird's eye view Stiles and Landon were spotted by Severo, who alerted someone by walkie-talkie.

Landon grabbed Stiles by the hand and led them to the bar, where they were served two shots. Both Stiles and Landon pushed away their glasses.

"No." Severo greeted them as he appeared from behind them, "On the house. Most American teenagers don't cross the border to refuse a drink."

Landon gave him a deadpanned look, "We didn't come to drink." and without a word he dropped a brass bullet casing stamped with the stylized skull image into the shot glass.

* * *

Not a moment later, Stiles and Landon found themselves in a room with a female hunter named Araya and two other hunters that were armed. The music from the dance floor could still be heard.

"Severo hates this music." Araya shared with them while using a small, curved blade as a seam ripper, intently working a piece of cloth as Stiles and Landon sat quietly on the other side of the table from her. "Me? I've always loved the music of youth. This kind, especially. It has a  _savage_  energy."

"We're here for Derek Hale." Landon voiced in a business-like tone.

"Is that so?" Araya inquired with a hint of amusement.

"We know you have him." Landon remarked not breaking his tone, "We've heard you can be bought."

At his side, Stiles wordlessly produced a stuffed envelope and placed five stacks of cash out on the table. Araya remained unfazed.

"It's 50,000 for Derek." Landon negotiated to her.

Araya gave him a pointed look before turning her attention to Stiles, "Now, where does a teenage girl get money like this?" She inquired with a small smile not missing a beat, "Japanese mafia?"

Behind her, Severo and the two other hunters cocked their weapons. "Not smart to come alone." Araya advised them, leaning over the table.

Stiles twisted the ring that laid on her left ring finger and leaned forward herself, "What makes you think we came alone?" Stiles challenged her.

At Stiles' statement Araya looked at the girl with a grasp of understanding.

* * *

_In the club on the dance floor Micah Tate was dancing. He was seemingly enjoying himself with a smirk right on his face, but if anyone was paying close attention they would see his eyes glowing blue and Kira Yukimura was sitting along the side of the dance floor tapping her foot to the beat of the music as her eyes glowed orange._

Araya stood up from her seat in an outrage, "You brought a  _wolf_  into my home?" She declared at them.

"Actually," Stiles countered coolly, "We brought an  _Alpha."_

_In a darkened corner of the dance floor stood Scott McCall red-eyed and ready._

Hunters with walkie-talkies started searching the dance floor. Kira noticed the sudden activity going on and approached the dancing Micah on the floor, "Something's happening." She told him.

"I know." Micah said as he continued dancing.

"What do we do?" Kira asked worriedly.

"Blend in!" He told her, but Kira doesn't exactly start moving, "Dance with me." He gestured to her. Kira started dancing awkwardly, losing feeling of the beat from before and Micah simply rolled his eyes at her and grabbed the small of her back and pulled her closer.

"Oh." Kira commented completely caught off guard. The pair grind on the dance floor all smiles and having a good time. It was noticed by the patrons of the club and soon resulted in them drawing a small crowd around them.

* * *

Araya was sitting back in her seat completely composed and gave both Stiles and Landon disappointed look, "My friends..." She said to them with a heavy sigh, "I don't think you're aware of your poor timing. Do you know what the dark moon is?"

"The part of the lunar phase when the moon is  _least_  visible in the sky." Landon answered.

"But do you know its  _meaning_?"

"Some people say it's a time of reflection." Landon continued to answer, "Or grief." He said softly.

"Grief  _and_  loss, mijo." Araya corrected him, watching him specifically. Stiles and Landon knew exactly what Araya was talking about. Araya noticed the sober expression on their faces and used it to her advantage, "I wonder why, when you and your friends have  _suffered_  so much loss," She looked between the teens, but mainly at Landon. Landon just gave her a blank look, "You would risk it  _again_  for someone like Derek Hale."

"'Cause we don't like to lose." Stiles answered in a serious tone.

Back out on the dance floor hunters were still canvassing the area. One of the hunters called on the radio, "Front door clear." The East Guard shared with them.

"South clear." Another guard radioed in. All the hunters were at the checking points in the club, but there was someone who didn't answer on the radio.

"North?" Severo asked. When he didn't get a response Severo then spoke in Spanish.

_At the north entrance Scott picked up the unconscious hunter's walkie-talkie._

Back in the room, Scott's voice rang through the radio, "Stiles. Take 10 off the table." Stiles wordlessly removed one of the piles of money off the table.

"Maybe you should just take the deal." Landon suggested to her.

Instead, Araya laughed at the suggestion, "While I'm  _keen_  to follow the warning of a Reaper," She told him, "I'm going to have to  _decline_."

* * *

Two armed hunters had spotted Micah and Kira, "Ready?" Micah asked her. Kira gave him a confirmation nod and the two were suddenly dancing back to back to each other. Just as a hunter was in close range to her, Kira kicked the hunter in the knee. The hunter fell to the floor while Kira also removed glow stick Nunchaku and whipped the nunchaku around her shoulders, while making impact to the Hunter's face knocking him unconscious.

Micah too was able to hold off the hunter he faced, with an easy punch to face as he took a hold of them and slammed their body into the floor.

Scott also managed to render a hunter unconscious as well. The trio regroup on the floor and started their search for Stiles and Landon.

Stiles was close to losing her nerve. So she started to do what she did best, "Come on. Just give us Derek." She demanded to Araya. "You don't want him anyway. Haven't you noticed what a  _downer_  he is?" She asked trying to joke her way through, "No  _sense_  of humor,  _poor_  conversationalist." To her side, Stiles could see Landon agreeing to everything she was saying, "Just come on,  _take_  the money."

Araya wasn't amused by Stiles' pitch, "Never heard a mate talk about her wolf like that."

It didn't come as surprise. They learned over the year that any news pertaining to the supernatural tend to travel faster than the speed of light.

Stiles clicked her teeth and leaned forward to the table, "If you know what I am." Stiles said lowly, "Then you know what I can do."

Araya gave her a smirk, "I know what you can do mija." Araya told her, "The question is why you haven't done it, yet?" Stiles remained silent as Araya spoke through the radio, "Severo? Show them how the Calaveras negotiate."

* * *

Severo, in the DJ booth above the dance floor, nodded to DJ who took out a bullhorn that sprayed smoke when triggered. Smoke also began to spread from several points around the club.

In the hallway, Scott noticed the smoke as it rose from under a door and as it poured out of all the vents near the ceiling.

"Wolfsbane." Scott realized, "It's Wolfsbane! Kira! Micah! Get out of here!"

Both Kira and Micah both cough and struggle against the smoke as they attempted to make their escape. From a hidden corner, a hunter was waiting and attempted to coldcock both of them with the butt of a shotgun. Just as he was close to actually make impact a force field appeared just as the butt of the gun was close to hitting Kira. But it didn't seem to matter as both Kira and Micah continued to feel the effects of the smoke and soon passed out.

With the werecoyote and kitsune down Araya appeared from the doorway, "For someone who has been an Alpha only a few months you should be more careful when facing a hunter of 40 years." She gloated at Scott.

Scott was weaken by the Wolfsbane as well and was now on the floor, taking panting breaths, "All we want is Derek." He told her.

"My lobito, you're a  _long_  way from home."

It was the way Araya had spoken when Scott comprehended what she was actually saying, "You don't know where he is either." Scott accused her just before he passed out.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Stiles, Scott, Landon, and Isaac are at the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic standing around the examination table, "Ok, so how long has it been?" Isaac asks them.

"Weeks." Stiles tells them, "He told me he had an emergency and that he needed to leave immediately. Of course, I didn't question it. But that changed when I felt the link get broken."

"Has Derek ever returned your texts?" Landon then asks Scott.

"Once." Scott shares with them, "Definitely once, but this time it  _felt_  different." Stiles gives him an inquiring look, but Scott continues, "So I went to the loft. The alarm was on. Everything looked okay. But then I found these." He pulls out a container lots of brass bullet casings with the skull symbol, "I sent a picture of it to Deaton. He said that it's the mark of a family of hunters based out of Mexico. The Calaveras."

"What would they want with Derek?" Isaac asks.

"You don't think they killed him, do you?" Stiles asks him.

"I..." Scott stammers and looks over at Stiles, "I don't know." He confesses and glances at Landon, "That's why you're here."

He passes the container of shell casings to him. Landon reaches in a grabs a handful, working them back and forth in his fingers. After a moment, he drops them to the floor and each one strikes with the sound of a gunshot and Derek's scream. The sounds are loud enough it causes the Reaper to wince in pain.

"Landon, what?" Stiles asks worriedly to him, "Is he dead?" Stiles panics.

"No." He reports to her, "But I'm not sure he's alive either."

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know." He picks up a bullet, but there is a feeling that he is getting. Something is odd about it, "There's something not right. I just... I don't know."

"So if the Calaveras have him," Isaac states, "How do we find them?"

"Mexico." Scott answers.

**END FLASHBACK**

Scott came to and found himself in a filthy public restroom with his head in Stiles' lap. He noticed she was wearing a worried expression on her face, "Scott, you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. They don't have him." He told her, "They don't have Derek."

Kira and Micah appeared at their side, "We know." Kira told him, "But right now, they've got Landon."

"Landon?" Scott asked confused, sitting up from the ground, "What do they want with Landon?"

Araya was pouring tea at a table on the sidewalk in front of a cafe called "Consuelas." And it is next day, "I have to admit I've never come across a Reaper before. But Banshees I have, but I still don't have much experience with them either." She told him, "All I really know is that you are the same."

"That makes two of us," Landon shared warily, not making eye contact with the woman, "Since I don't have much experience  _being_  one."

"I have a feeling you underestimate your abilities, Landon."

Landon gave her a sideway glance, "Trust me, you'd have better luck with tarot cards."

"Let's find out." Araya challenged him as she placed a gun on the table. She gestured at the three men who stood guard in front of them, "Tell me, which one of these men is about to die?"

* * *

In the bathroom, Scott attempted to open the doors, but it's revealed to be useless.

"We already looked for a way out." Kira told him looking around the room, there were blood stains, dirt, hands, and claws marks all against the walls and floor of the bathroom, "I think a lot of people have."

"I say when that door opens again," Micah offered, "We take out whoever's standing in the way and run for it."

"What about Landon?" Kira asked noticing that he left out a certain person in his plan.

Micah seemed confused by the question, "What about him?"

"We're not leaving  _without_  him." Stiles informed him.

"Why not?" Micah questioned now confused as to why no one was agreeing with his plan. As far as he was concerned his plan didn't actually suck as much as theirs.

"Because we don't leave without people. Remember, we talked about this?" She reminded him, "Rules of the wild kingdom don't apply to _friends_."

"Is that what you would do as a coyote," Kira asked, "Leave him for dead?"

"If he was weak and injured, yeah." Micah declared boldly, "If hunting had been bad that season, I would  _eat_  him. Then I'd leave."

"All right, guys, we're not dead yet." Scott interrupted, changing the subject, "And that means Araya wants something."

"But if the Calaveras don't know where Derek is, that means they didn't take him from the loft. Right?" Kira questioned.

"That would mean someone  _else_  got to him." Stiles stated, "That means it wasn't just a nightmare he was telling me about," She realized, "It was a memory." She stated as it clicked, "I should've known." Stiles started to pace around the room and the lights in the room began to flicker.

"Stiles are you okay?" Scott questioned her as he stopped her in place.

"I'm fine…I’m fine." Stiles responded. Scott noticed a dark glow in her eyes, but it quickly disappeared.

* * *

At their table, Araya was peeling an orange with a wicked serrated blade, "How does it work? Do you need to touch them?" Landon watched her nervously as she continued peeling, "Maybe I give you something they own. Or is it just a... a feeling?"

"I told you…I don't know."

Landon watched as Araya now started fiddling with the knife, "Just how  _close_  to death do they have to be?"

She double-tapped the knife and Landon started to get that familiar sensation as he looked at the two men. Araya kept her eyes on Landon as she suddenly whipped the knife out at one of the men, striking him in the chest. Landon lets out a little yelp as getting up from his seat, while the hunter closer to him dropped to the ground with a grunt. The other remained unfazed.

"Why did you do that for?" Landon asked with his voice shaking.

"He stole from me."

At the statement, Landon's ears started to get filled with whispers and he looked curiously at the woman, "What do you want?"

"Right now?" Araya hinted, as she pulled a piece of the orange apart, "I want to know about Scott McCall. I want to know what kind of Alpha he really is."

* * *

Landon soon found himself being escorted to a room where Scott was bound to a chair with manacles, chains, and electric wiring.

"Oh, God." Landon breathed at the sight just as he was placed in a similar chair and was being chained in the same manner. They were in a large room that had three deer head mounted over a fireplace and the only source of light that they were getting was coming from the three windows that were faced behind them.

"Let him go." Scott demanded to the hunter that ignored him, "Look... you've got me. Just let the others go." He begged.

Severo then appeared with Kira at his side and forced her to stand by an electric box, "Your hand goes here." He instructed her as he forced her hand on the knob, "Let me explain what's about to happen. This one, the fox, has an  _immunity_  to electricity. So she's going to turn the dial on the Alpha. If she doesn't, I turn the dial on the Reaper."

"I'm not doing this." Kira told him removing her hand from the knob.

Severo gave a crooked smile, "I see." He told her, "Are you sure? One of your friends has the power to heal." Kira looked over at Landon who was now fully chained to the chair, "The other? Not so much."

Kira felt like she stuck in the same position she had been when they were facing the Nogitsune. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"What are you doing?" Scott questioned, "Is this a  _game_  to you?"

"This is a  _test_ , lobito." Araya corrected him, "Let's see if you pass." She placed Kira's hand on the knob again, "We're going to ask some questions. You answer them, nobody gets hurt. You don't answer, we turn on the dial."

"Do what they say. Okay." Scott told Kira. Kira looked at him with shock as she started to feel the sense of panic overcome her, "Whatever they want. I can take it." He assured her.

"So... We don't know where Derek is." Araya confessed to them, "We want to find him as well. His mate doesn't know where he is without the link, so she is useless." Araya shared with them, "That only just leaves you." She turned to Scott, "You know who took him." She expressed to him firmly.

"What?" Scott asked completely and utterly lost, "How would I know that?"

"That doesn't sound like an answer to me."

"We don't know." Landon repeated backing Scott up, "Why else do you think we came here?"

Araya ignored Landon's claim, "Kira, turn the dial." But Kira didn't move a muscle. Araya smirked at the lack of action, "Should we turn the dial on Landon instead?"

"Do it, Kira." Scott told her, "Do it."

Kira reluctantly gave him a head nod, "I'm sorry."

"Let's start at one." Araya said.

* * *

Back in their restroom prison, Stiles had started pacing again, "Do you hear them? Can you hear Scott?" She probed at Micah, "Can you hear Kira, Landon, anybody? What are they saying?"

Micah had been sitting on the floor leaning on a column with his eyes closed trying to listen in, "I... I can't. I can't concentrate." He told her as he opened his eyes, "I... There's too many sounds and voices."

"It's okay." She told him, but Micah could clearly hear the skip in her heart. Stiles then stooped down to his level, "Just breathe." She coached him, "You practiced this with Scott before, remember?"

"I'm trying." Micah told her, "Maybe you guys should've brought Isaac instead."

**FLASHBACK**

"Will you relax? I finally got it under control." Stiles tells Isaac while he stands at her doorway, giving her a very disapproving expression. Stiles is packing for the trip to Mexico and now Isaac isn't too happy about the plan.

"And when you don't people are going to get hurt," Isaac reminds her, "You guys will need me," Isaac repeats for the third time, "Especially you."

"I'll be fine." Stiles says to him.

"You said that last time and Deaton almost got stabbed with surgery equipment."

"Uh, almost" Stiles points out, but Isaac gives her his no sass face, "I'll be fine." She repeats to him just as Isaac stands in front of her.

"You don't know that." He tells her, "You can't control your power with you stressing and worrying about Derek. Deaton said we're even lucky that I can even bring you back."

"Look," Stiles tells him tiredly, "I promise I will not use more than necessary."

"I can smell and hear the lie all over you."

**END FLASHBACK**

"It's okay, it's okay." Stiles assured him, "Just focus on something." Stiles coached him, "Here, look at my eyes." Stiles told Micah as she started remembered some of the techniques from when she first helped Scott. Micah does look at her with some kind of hope in his eyes, "Very good. Just focus on the  _sound_  of my voice. All you have to do is try to concentrate." She whispered to him, "Concentrate..."

Micah closed his eyes as Stiles continued talking to him. He started to focus on the sound of her voice and when he opened his eyes as they were glowing blue.

* * *

Araya had gone from patient to impatient to furious in a manner of minutes, "Tell me! Who actually has Derek?" Araya demanded to the Alpha, "Who had a reason, a vendetta particular to the Hales?"

Scott had already suffered through two rounds of electricity being shot through his body, "I said I don't know." Scott told her.

Landon could still hear the whispers in his ears as he watched in fear as Kira was forced to up the voltage, once again.

"Oh, you don't know because you haven't  _figured_  it out yet." Araya snapped at him, "So think! Who could've taken him?"

Araya signaled over to Severo, "Tres." He told Kira, but Kira could see that Scott wasn't handling the shock of the current anymore and didn't make a move.

"It's okay." Scott assured her once again. Kira turned the dial once more.

"Who had the power?" Araya question him, "The power of a shapeshifter?"

"I don't know." Scott told her.

"Oh! Someone who could have turned without you knowing." She started to yell at him, "Turned, but not by a bite!"

"I don't know!"

Araya pushed Kira aside and cranked up the juice to the maximum. Through his shock Scott's mind goes back in time.

**FLASHBACK**

It is the night of the lacrosse game that determines if the team makes it to state. Scott's enhanced hearing is in tune with a conversation between Kate and Chris Argent.

"Can you get turned by a scratch?" Kate asks Chris as they try to figure who is helping the Alpha.

"If the claws go  _deep_  enough." Chris tells her.

In another memory, "Peter  _slashed_  Kate's throat right in front of us." Stiles tells him as they head back to the hospital after a failed attempt of finding Scott a cure for his lycanthropy.

**END FLASHBACK**

When the answer came to him, Scott broke the manacles and with his eyes glowing the Alpha red.

Araya gave him an approving smile, “ _Say_  the name, Scott."

* * *

Back in their prison room, Micah had related the message to Stiles. Stiles got up off the floor as the lights flickered again, "That's impossible." She spoke to herself, "It's impossible. That  _can't_  be what he said."

"Why?" Micah questioned confused by the name, "Who... who is she?"

"She is supposed to be  _dead,_ " She told him as she collected herself, "I can't…I can't believe...she took him."

_In a dark, cobwebby stone hallway Kate Argent was standing in front of a disc shaped sculpture inlaid in the stone wall. Behind the sculpture, Derek Hale seemed to be unconscious, tied and covered in cobwebs._

 


	2. Dark Moon pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was doing the math of when this fic should be finished and if all goes well then hopefully it should be done by sometime in June. Which is a hell of a long time. Especially if season 5 is supposed to start around that time too. Who knows? Blessing or a curse. You decide after reading part 2 of Dark Moon.

That same day, "So..." Scott said, as he was now walking out the door with Araya, "You're just letting us go?" He questioned noticing the others were waiting on guard by Stiles' jeep.

"I sent four men out to where Kate was rumored to have been seen." Araya shared with him, " _None_  of them came back." She gave him a look over, "Let's see if you can do better." She challenged him.

"You could've just told me she was alive." Scott made a point to say.

"You wouldn't have believed me." She stated knowingly, "Now I know what kind of Alpha you are." This earned her a confused look, "And where your next step lies."

"What next step?"

Araya took a step closer to Scott, "When you take the bite of an innocent," She told him, "When you  _make_  a wolf of your own, when you do that," She dropped her voice into a whisper, "Then, I will _cross_ your border and come knocking at  _your_  door."

Scott watched with uneasiness as Araya went back inside the club. Scott made his way over to the others that were still watching the remaining hunters.

"So what now?" Stiles asked him when he walked up to them and the hunters removed their focus on them.

"She thinks she knows where we can find Derek." Scott shared with them.

"She gonna tell us where?"

"Uh, actually, she's giving us a guide."

A roar of a motorcycle filled the air as a woman appeared from a corner wearing a helmet and parked right next to Stiles' Jeep. Stiles recognized her immediately, "You know her?" Scott asked when he saw the look of recognition on his friend's face.

Stiles walked over to the motorcycle, "Braeden." She claimed with a small smile on her face.

"Who's Braeden?" Micah asked.

"She was the one who saved Isaac," Stiles told him, "She also saved Derek and Peter before."

Braeden had removed her helmet, "I was  _hired_  to save them." She corrected Stiles.

"She's a mercenary." Landon explained to Micah, who was clueless.

"Right now, I'm the only one who's gonna take you to la iglesia."

"The Church?" Landon asked with some wonder.

"What's The Church?" Stiles asked.

"It's not a place you'll find God." Braeden replied easily, before slipping back on her helmet.

* * *

Stiles was following Braeden in the jeep. The air was quiet and tense until a certain were-creature broke the silence, "Okay, I'll ask. Who's Kate Argent?" Micah asked, leaning up to the front where Scott and Stiles occupied.

"Uh, I'd like to know, too." Kira voiced uneasily. She had noticed how Landon, Scott and Stiles had been acting ever since they left the club.

"Well, we were at her funeral." Stiles shared with them, "So, I'd like to know how she got  _out_  of a casket that was  _buried_  six feet underground."

"She was never in it." Scott voiced.

"She was Allison's aunt." Landon told them and looked out the window, "And a total sociopath."

Kira noticed that Stiles clenching onto the stirring wheel tightly, "You don't have to talk about it now if you don't want to." She placed a reassuring hand on Stiles' shoulder.

"Um, yes, she does." Micah countered back easily.

"Yeah, he's right." Scott said surprising everyone, "You guys should know. You  _need_  to know." He told them.

There was a moment when Scott and Stiles stared at each other silently, obviously having a silent argument before Stiles spoke up, "Kate was the one who set the fire that killed most of Derek's family."

_Stiles could hear the screams of the Hale family from the memory of the fire Derek had gotten from Peter._

"Some of them survived, like Cora, and Peter." Scott shared with them.

"Yeah," Landon inputted with some heavy disdain, "A  _very_  angry Peter."

_Landon could still remember the night at the formal when Peter had attacked and bitten him._

"Yeah," Scott agreed, "He's the one who bit and turned me."

_Scott remembered being lost in the woods when he gets attacked by a deer and an unknown creature._

"And the one who finally caught up to Kate and killed her." Landon finished.

_Stiles could still see Peter slashing Kate's throat as he forced her to apologize for what she has done to the Hale family._

"And we saw her get buried." Stiles pointed out to him.

"No." Scott told them, "We saw  _a_  casket and she wasn't in it." Then it was all coming together, "The Calaveras heard that Kate had been killed by an Alpha's claws. More and more, as she got closer to a full moon. She was coming back. So they switched out the bodies."

_The Calaveras came to check Kate's body and found her healing. They removed it back to Mexico, to the same restroom prison where Scott and the others were held before._

"If a hunter is bit, they have to take their own life before they change. The Calaveras, they treat the code like law."

_They tried to force her to kill herself, with a razor switchblade, as is the hunter's code._

"They make it their responsibility to  _enforce_  it." Scott explained to them, "Only she didn't go through with it."

_Kate faked her death and killed six of her captors to escape._

"Good for her." Micah claimed approvingly, "I wouldn't do it either."

"Would you kill half a dozen people to get out?" Scott asked him, "Because that's exactly what she did."

"What I want to know is what made them think she was going to do it in the first place," Stiles broke into a tangent, "She broke the Code for what she did to Derek's family  _and_  when she tried to kill you after Allison wouldn't do it."

Scott began to notice a series of red jagged line appearing on her neck as Stiles continued on with her rant, "Stiles-" He tried.

"I'm fine…" Stiles said to him, "I…just… If it weren't for them Derek wouldn't have been taken."

"I know you're worried about him and angry." Scott spoke to her, "But right now I need to you become un-angry." Scott told her, "You slip now, we would have a bigger problem than Kate coming back."

Stiles looked at the ring on her finger and back at Scott and silently turned her attention back to the road. The lines now were now faint, but hadn't fully disappeared.

"So Kate's a werewolf now?" Kira asked carefully.

"I don't know." Scott admitted to them, "You know, there's a saying, sometimes the shape you take  _reflects_  the person you are."

_Landon, Scott, and Stiles all remember the Jackson/Kanima situation._

"What kind of shape is  _sociopathic_  bitch?" Landon questioned in a crossed tone.

Landon's question goes unanswered as there was a sudden jerk against the jeep causing it to stop abruptly.

* * *

"What happened?" Braeden questioned when she realized that Stiles and the others came to a sudden stop. Everyone was now outside the jeep, but thankful that the air was a bit cooler.

"I don't know." Stiles told her, "It felt like we hit something."

"Scott, we need to get there by night." Braeden informed them, looking at the now setting sun, "It's too dangerous otherwise."

Scott looked over at Stiles, who could practically see the wheels turning in his head, "Go." She urged him.

"Not without you." He told her.

"I'll be okay." She assured him, but easily sees the hesitation in his eyes, "Dude, someone needs to find Derek." She expressed to him, "We'll figure something out. We always do." She assured him before giving him a hug.

In the embrace, Scott could feel a warm sensation envelope his body as Stiles gripped to him tightly, "Did you just-"

"Just a little something extra." Stiles could see that Scott was ready to protest, but Stiles ignored him and stood by Braeden and placed a hand on her shoulder. The mercenary too felt the warm sensation overcome her body and also noticed the glow in Stiles' eyes.

"So you're Stiles." She said to her. Stiles gave her a nod and Braeden gave a small smile before she set herself on her bike.

"You know a simple "Be careful" would've suffice." Scott chastised to his friend, while Stiles hid the red markings that were occurring once again.

Stiles pushed Scott toward the bike, "Just go." She commanded.

Stiles watched as Scott and Braeden rode off farther into the desert until they were out of sight. When Stiles turned back to her jeep, she was confronted with Landon glowering at her.

"What?"

Landon gave her a simple headshake, "Don't do that again unless you have to."

Stiles doesn't get a chance to defend herself when Micah interrupted them, "Stiles." He grunted as he pulled something out from the side of the jeep, "I don't think  _we_  hit something." He held up a large bony claw, "I think something hit  _us_."

* * *

Braeden and Scott arrive at their destination, "La iglesia." Braeden commented and they dismounted from the bike.

There was a collection of ruined buildings with a damaged Spanish style church at the center, but unlike the rest of the town the Church seemed to have been untouched by mountains of sand.

"What happened here?" Scott asked as they walked their way through the sand buried town.

"An earthquake. It leveled the town."

"Then why is The Church still standing?"

"The locals think it's because of what's underneath." She told him with a sideway glance.

"Do I wanna know?"

"The Church was built over the ruins of an Aztec temple." She explained to him, "It belonged to a people called the Nagual."

"Shapeshifters?"

"Werejaguars."

"So Derek and Kate are somewhere in there?"

"I don't know." She admitted staring at the church, "Never gotten this far before."

After grabbing her weapons and a flashlight, Braeden and Scott both head towards their destination.

* * *

Down under the night sky, Kira and Micah were standing on patrol, while Landon was holding a flashlight as Stiles attempted to fix her jeep.

"Maybe we should just walk." Landon suggested to her as he watched her fiddle with the engine and possibly messing with somethings that were probably important.

"Hey, I will  _never_  abandon this jeep." Stiles declared towards him, "You understand me? Ever. Ever. Ever."

Landon gave her a simple eye roll and watched over Kira and Micah.

While Kira was watching her side she hadn't noticed anything, Micah watched the other side that was covered with darkness when something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. Whatever it was gone by the time he was able to fully focus in that one point. However, he was getting an uneasy feeling.

"Work faster, Stiles." Micah urged her, "There's something out here with us." Micah continued to look at the spot where he saw the figure. Something about it just seemed wrong.

* * *

Scott and Braeden were now walking through the catacombs of the church, "If you find Kate in here, what are you gonna do with her?" Scott asked.

"Bring her back to the Calaveras." Braeden stated simply, "That's what they paid me for."

"What happens after that?" In the catacombs it was filled with skeletons and all types of creepy-crawlers.

"Not my problem."

"You don't care?"

"Do you?" Braeden questioned stopping them, "She's a mass murderer."

"And you're a mercenary." He pointed out.

"Girl's gotta eat."

"If you were paid enough, would you kill her?"

"If the money was good, I'd kill you." She said pointedly and started back to walking through the dark church. Scott didn't find that answer as surprise and continued as well, "Can you catch Derek's scent?"

"Yeah. I already got it."

He started to lead them down another hall, but due to his enhanced-hearing he heard a distant roar coming from the very hall they were in. Scott even made a point to make a sudden stop.

"What?" Braeden whispered sensing Scott's uneasiness.

"There's something else in here."

"Something like what?" She asked as they peered down the dark passage way with the little light they had.

"Something not human."

* * *

Stiles was still trying to work on her jeep, but was having a hard time, due to the lack of light she was getting since it kept moving around, "Landon, could you please hold the light still for a second?" She asked him, "It's really hard to see anything if you keep shaking it like that."

"I'm shaking it like this because we're in the middle of nowhere with your broken down jeep and we're being attacked by yet  _another_  razor-clawed monster." Landon quipped at her, "And I'm terrified."

"I could-"

"No."

"Then please just be slightly less terrified." Stiles begged him as she removed a car piece from the jeep, "And hold this."

"What's this?" Landon asked as she handed him a wheel-shaped engine piece.

"I don't know." Stiles admitted while still working, "I'm hoping it's not important."

Kira, now stood in front of the jeep armed with her sword. Micah was still surveying the area where he had seen the figure.

"Anything?" Kira asked him.

"It's too hard to see." Micah informed her, "We should've brought another flashlight."

Kira then has an idea. She used the sword to reflect light off the jeep at some nearby rocks and something had moved from there.

"Did you see that?" Kira asked Micah.

In response, Micah automatically lets his fangs retract and his eyes glow blue and he ran toward the rocks, "Micah, wait!" Kira shouted out to him, but Micah doesn't turn back.

Stiles quickly caught onto what was happening, "Micah!" Stiles shouted. She was just about to hold out her hand to send a force field to stop him from going any farther, when Landon placed her hand down.

"Kira, you go!" Landon ordered to her and Kira took off after Micah. He pointed the flashlight at Stiles' face, "You. Fix the jeep." He told her, but Stiles was about ready to protest, "You've pushed it already." Landon reminded her taking note of the red markings now visible on Stiles' neck, "Fix the jeep and we can all get out of here."

* * *

Kira was now running in the dark looking for Micah, but she could also sense that something else was indeed out there with them.

"Micah?" She called out, but there was no response. All around her there were sounds filling her ear. But the sound of a twig snapping was a lot closer than she expected and before she could ready to defend herself someone ran into her. This caused Kira to let out a scream as the figure made impact and they both crash into the ground.

"It's me!" Micah claimed out of breath, "It's me." He repeated as he looked behind himself. Kira noticed a wound on his arm.

"What happened?" She asked him, "What's out there?"

"I don't know, but it is big and fast." Micah told her as he helped her from the ground, "And it cuts deep."

There's another sound, but it comes from the distance. Both Micah and Kira ran back into the direction of the jeep just in time to hear the jeep start back up.

* * *

Scott and Braeden were now deeper into the church. "So, what did Stiles do to us?" Braeden asked the hall now had gotten bigger.

"She put up a barrier around us. Like a force field," Scott shared with her, "It protects us. Though I wish she hadn't done it."

"Why is that? It seems like it would come in handy."

"Because if she goes overboard bad things will happen." Scott told her. Scott doesn't go farther into the detail when he senses something that wasn't exactly in front of them.

"What?" Braeden asked when Scott doubled back.

"Just had a feeling like something was behind us."

In the still air a breathing sound fills the air, "You hear that?" Braeden questioned as she started to search throughout the cave.

"Is this why you never get that far?" Scott asked. There were more skeletons than before, but that wasn't the reason why Scott was starting to get worried.

The breathing had disappeared and had been replaced with something else. The sound of footsteps running had taken over along a growl that seemed very close to them.

"Get ready!" Braeden warned him.

* * *

Stiles, Landon, Kira, and Micah were finally back on the road, "You..." Stiles chastised at the werecoyote, "Don't do that  _ever_  again!"

"Do what?" Micah asked clearly confused at Stiles' outburst.

"You just took off." Stiles told him, "You just straight up bolted."

"There was something out there."

"And you got hurt in the process." Stiles made a point to say, "I know your coyote instincts kicked in, but next time-" Stiles said looking at the wound, "Just next time give someone a heads up." She breathed out to him. Micah could sense the emotions that were coming off Stiles.

"Okay." He said softly.

"That doesn't look good." Landon said looking at the wound that Micah had required.

"It's okay."

"Are you sure?" Kira asked as she inspected the wound, "It looks deep."

"I can feel it healing." He assured them. It still felt weird to him that there were people who were looking out for him.

"You didn't see anything?" Landon asked.

"Barely." Micah said as he looked out the window, "It had a strong scent, though."

"Like what?"

"Like death."

* * *

Braeden and Scott caught a glimpse of the figure that had been making the sounds that Scott had been hearing. The only thing they knew was that it was a collection of bones that had no real form. The problem was it was superfast. "Where is it? Do you see it?" Braeden asked with her gun ready.

"No, I don't know!" Scott shouted at her, "I can't see anything!"

"Where is this thing?"

It was still in there. Whatever, the hell it was. The sound of footsteps still circled around them and the growling seemed to get closer and closer. Even worse along with the growling and running the sound of whispers filled the air.

"Scott, get behind me." Braeden ordered him, "Scott, get behind me!"

Scott caught site of the figure again, but didn't follow Braeden's order. Instead he side-stepped in front of her and released a mighty Alpha roar that cause the cavern they were in to shake. In the distance now the growling had faded.

"I think I scared it." Scott told her.

"I think you scared  _everything."_  She said to him as they slowly made there through another narrow hall.

As they neared the end-up of the hall, a roar-induced rock fell and revealed the carved circular sculpture, "What is that?" Scott asked.

"Tezcatlipoca." She told him as she shined her flashlight over the structure, "The nagual jaguar God. I think we found Derek."

"Stand back." Scott punched through the rock surface and peered into the hole he had created. There was someone inside who reached out to them, "Oh, my God." Scott breathed out.

* * *

Stiles and the others arrived in the Jeep just as Scott and Braeden exited the church dragging the person they found inside. Both Landon and Stiles quickly ran to them only stop in their tracks when they see Scott and Braeden helping out someone.

"Is that him?" Micah asked Stiles catching up to them, "Is that Derek?" He asked not hiding the confusion in his voice.

The person who had exited out the church with Scott and Braeden looked up at Stiles confused, "Uh, sort of." Stiles answered as she was face to face with the spitting image of a much younger version of Derek Hale.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON TNH: THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "So if he's not your mate, then who is?"
> 
> "Why are you still asking?" Stiles deflected easily.
> 
> "Why are you answering a question with another question?"
> 
> "Let's just say it's a mutual friend."
> 
> "It's not my Uncle Peter is it?" It took everything in Stiles not to hurl at the thought, while Derek leaned over and took another sniff, "I mean you smell so familiar."
> 
> "Hey how about we stop sniffing Stiles." Stiles offered to him and pushed him away, "In fact no more sniffing or asking Stiles questions until we figure this out."
> 
> There was a moment of silence between them when Derek spoke again, "You're not really a lawyer, are you?" He questioned with a smirk.
> 
> "What did I just say?"


	3. 117 pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll post part 2 later today, but next week the original update schedule will be back into play.

 

**FLASHBACK**

Under a full moon, a basketball game is getting underway inside the Beacon Hills High School Gym. In the gym, the crowd is cheering on the team and the coach is calling out for Derek who has yet to make his appearance on the basketball court.

Young Peter Hale is also there in the task out looking for his nephew. He walks into the locker room to find said nephew, 15 year old Derek Hale in the midst of wolfing out under a running shower. He isn't at all surprise to see Derek struggling with his transformation.

"I thought..." Derek starts to say when he sees Peter standing by the shower, "I thought I could control it."

"All this risk?" Peter chastises him with some heat in his voice, "Just for a basketball game? On the night of a full moon?"

"It's the finals." Derek reasons as he still is trying to fight the urge to shift, "They need me."

In frustration, Peter takes a hold of Derek by his Beacon Hills Basketball #4 jersey, "To do what?" Peter questions him, " _Rip_  someone's throat out on the court?" Peter releases Derek from his grip and takes a deep breath, "Even  _born_  wolves have to learn control on a full moon, Derek." Peter tells him gently with the heat now gone from his voice.

"Yeah, but it's supposed to be  _easier_  for us," Derek shoots back at him, now angry at the obvious statement. He knew that bitten werewolves had a harder time to learn their control over a full moon, but for some reason he kept struggling with his transformation, "Why does it  _hurt_  like this?"

Peter doesn't answer the question, he rather asks one himself, "Did you bring it?"

"It's not working..." Derek tells him, knowing exactly what Peter was talking about. It was something was supposed to help control their shifts.

"Did you bring it?" Peter repeats ignoring Derek claim. Derek removes a metal disk from his pocket. It bears the triple spiral triskelion symbol. "Go ahead." Peter says to him.

"I told you, it's not  _working_." Derek says panting heavily with his eyes glowing.

"Do it!" Peter insists one again.

Derek holds the disk in both his hands and starts his chant, "Alpha, Beta, Omega..." He chants calmly while still fighting the transformation.

"Again." Peter said to him.

"Alpha, Beta, Omega..." Derek repeats over and over, but soon his voice starts echoing in his ears and he drops to the floor with heavy breathing. He loses the little control he has and his transformation continues. His screams of pain echo throughout the locker room. Peter looks on watching as Derek continues to transform and doesn't leave his side.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

At a rainy gas station, a car was parked on the side with its driver's side door opened. From the outside, the attendant could hear growling noises coming from the station's only public restroom around the side of the building.

As he got closer the growling sound intensify and he proceeded to knock on the door to figure out with the hell was going on.

"Hey!"

Inside the restroom, Kate Argent was struggling with a transformation. She was gripping tightly onto the sink almost to a point where she was cracking it.

"You okay in there?" The gas station attendant asked from the other side of the door. Inside Kate released a loud scream, "Hey, you all right?" The attendant asked, "What's going on in there?

Kate could still feel the transformation happening and she fought another urge, "Just a second." She told him panting trying to still remain calm.

This doesn't seem to please the attendant as he continued to bang on the door, "Hey!"

"I'll be out in a minute!" She tried shouting back to him, only for her words to be devolved into guttural growls.

"You need to open the door." The attendant demanded, "I don't know what the hell you're doing or whatever you're on, but I got a key. You come out or I'm coming in." He told her, but he doesn't get a response, "Hey! You want me to call the cops?" He threatened, "You hear me? Lady, open the door!" But the only he thing could hear through the door were strange sounds coming from inside, "Open it!"

It became apparent to him that the door wasn't going to be opened on demand. He used his key and opened the door to find Kate still breathing heavily, "You okay?"

As Kate turned the attendant, her face had gone all blue, her lips turned black, she grew fangs and her eyes had taken on a greenish hue. Kate was now fully transformed as she released a roar and attacked him in a frenzy.

* * *

It was raining when Stiles, Scott and Landon met up with Deaton and Isaac at the Animal Clinic. They had brought in the newly regressed and unconscious Derek and had set him on the examination table, "Wow." Deaton said when he actually got a look at Derek's condition.

"Wow? Wow as in, "I've seen this before and I know exactly what to do," kind of wow?" Stiles asked him, "'Cause that's the kind of wow we were hoping for."

"I think you might be  _over_ estimating my abilities." Deaton told her as he started to exam the young Derek.

Stiles made a sighing sound and took a hold of the Young Derek's hand, "He's cold." She told him, " _Really_  cold."

"Do you think this is permanent?" Isaac asked as he too looked over the unconscious boy.

"I'm not sure a  _medical_  diagnosis is even adequate." Deaton said as he was still in awe about Derek's condition, "This is well  _beyond_  my experience."

"So what do we do with him?" Scott asked.

"Until he wakes up. Probably not much." This time he looked over at Stiles, "It might be best to leave him with me. He'll be safe here."

"You mean from Kate?" Stiles questioned knowing what he was getting at. Kate had come after Derek once before, no doubt that she wasn't going to do it again.

"If she's alive and she is what you say she is, she won't be able to walk past that gate." Deaton assured her, but he could tell that wasn't a good enough answer for her.

"Why would she want do this to him?" Landon questioned.

"Knowing Kate, it's probably for a reason that won't be any good for anyone but her."

Stiles made a scoffing sound, "And bad for everyone else." She stated, "Just what we need  _another_  Peter."

"You guys should probably go home." Deaton advised them, "He doesn't look to be in any danger. So maybe the rest of you should get some sleep?" The students looked at Deaton in question, "It is a school night... And you all need to start taking care of your own lives again."

"Someone should stay with you." Scott reasoned to the vet.

At the sound of Scott's statement, Stiles felt the sleeping Derek grip her hand tightly, "I'll stay." She told them, "My grades are fine...despite missing a few classes. When he wakes up he'll probably remember me. I need to be here."

"I'm so not okay with this." Isaac told her.

"Quit worrying." Stiles told him, "I'm not using my power. I'll be fine so you guys just go." She told them. But neither Isaac, Landon, nor Scott made a move, "Guys, go."

"No." Isaac remained firm. The two of them get into a staring match.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Stiles is napping until she wakes up screaming and kicking in her bed and Isaac is instantly at her side, "It's okay Stiles." Isaac tells her as he encloses her into his arms wiping away the sweat that has formed around her brow, "It's okay." He continues to whisper over and over until Stiles has fully recover from her nightmare.

Derek has been gone for weeks now and the link is no longer intact. Meaning instead of having Derek helping Stiles with the nightmares (the result of the Nogitsune possession), Stiles is forced to deal with the nightmares on her own, "Thanks Isaac." She says to him once she has manage to calm herself.

“Well at least you didn’t take us anywhere this time.” Isaac offers her.

This gets him a laugh, "You don't have to do this.” She points around her room, which is filled with some of Isaac’s belongings, “Stay here, I mean."

"Well, it better than watching Scott try to train that coyote." Isaac jokes with a smile.

"What do you have against Micah?"

"Aside from getting my leg caught in a bear trip when we were trying to rescue him, after he tried to eat Kira," Isaac says making a face, "Nothing."

Stiles squints an eye at him, "Your loyalty is very admiring."

"It's one of my many qualities," Isaac tells her with a cheesy grin, "Now go back to sleep. Your dad will be home soon."

"And bossy too." Stiles points out as she lays down.

"Shut up."

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Stiles raised an eyebrow at him and Isaac slumped his shoulders in response. Over the months they too had learned how to communicate without even speaking to each other.

"Text us if anything happens." Scott told her as he watched the two of them silently argue. Stiles gave him a victorious smile as she stuck her tongue out at the beta.

"Nope, still not okay with it." Isaac stated once again refusing to move, "Not going anywhere." Scott then started to pull Isaac by his arm and Isaac knew that this was a battle he wasn't going to win, "All right, just 'cause you're the Alpha..." Isaac trailed out. Landon followed them out as well giving them a small wave.

"What's the off chance of him knowing about the bond?" Stiles asked once she and Deaton were alone.

Deaton gave her a wary look, "Well…"

* * *

Both Scott and Isaac returned to the McCall residence to find the furniture in the dining area had been removed. There was a sound of water dripping and hitting a metal bowl. There were also other signs of misconstruction (from the Oni).

As they ventured through the dark, Scott noticed his father was sleeping on the couch. He signaled for Isaac to be quiet, but it was Scott who tripped over a tool box, that he clearly saw, causing Agent McCall to wake-up.

Of course, Isaac took the opportunity of Scott's clumsiness and bolted out the room leaving Scott by himself to face his dad all on his own, "Scott?" Agent McCall questioned still in his sleep haze.

"Hey, Dad." Scott said trying not to sound like he hadn't been up to no good, "What's with the tools?"

"Oh, I was just, uh..." Agent McCall released a tired sigh, "Getting started on a list of repairs you guys need done. What time is it?"

"It's um…" Scott looked at the clock on the end table that read 4:05 am, but Scott slyly faced the clock down, "Midnight." He lied easily.

"We were supposed to have dinner. We had a  _deal_." Agent McCall told him, "When your mom has a night shift, we have dinner."

"Well, Isaac was here. You had dinner with him." Scott told him, but Agent McCall gave him a look that told him that wasn't a good enough reason, "I totally forgot about it. When we got back from the camping trip, I had to go straight to the animal clinic to finish up work."

"All right, well..." The tired Agent said, "Tomorrow night. Dinner. You and me."

"Great." Scott said with much enthusiasm.

"Did you get anything to eat?"

Scott exhaled a breath, "Yeah, Mexican." From upstairs he could hear snickering.

* * *

At the Animal Clinic, Stiles was dozing. She awoken by a shuffling sound and sees that Deaton was checking on Derek once again, "How's he doing?" Stiles asked as she got up from the chair she had been occupying through the night.

"His heart rate is  _alarmingly_  high." Deaton told her as he continued to listen to Derek's heartbeat.

Stiles took a hold of Derek's hand, "He's a lot warmer now." She told him. Both Stiles and Deaton exchanged glances.

"Stiles, I'm going to try something." Deaton told her as he grabbed a scalpel, "I want you to keep holding his hand." Stiles eyed at the small knife, but gave him a head nod.

Deaton then checked Derek's healing ability by cutting his arm. Just as quickly as Deaton made the cut it disappeared, "That looks like it healed really fast." Stiles commented to him.

"That wasn't you?" Deaton asked Stiles. They had discovered a few things Stiles could do with the use of her power, healing was one of them.

"No," Stiles told him, "I can't do it that quickly."

"Then that was  _unusually_  fast." Deaton told her as he removed his stethoscope from around his neck.

"What does it mean?"

Deaton made a tired sigh, "I'm not sure. Let's try something else." Deaton suggested to her, "Grab me a five milliliter syringe. Top drawer." Deaton turned to a cabinet in the room, while Stiles shuffled through the drawer.

As soon as Stiles found the syringe she heard a noise behind her and turned around. In front of her, she sees that Derek had awoken, "Derek..."

She also noticed that his claws were out and his eyes glowed the electric blue.

"Derek, are you all right?" Deaton asked when he noticed just how Derek was standing in his defensive stance. But as Stiles and Deaton were trying to talk to him their voices were muffled in Derek's ears.

"Derek..." Stiles tried once more. She made an effort to move, but the young Derek made a growling sound at her causing her to freeze completely.

"Derek, are you all right?" Deaton asked, noticing the behavior toward Stiles, "Derek?"

Derek was attempting to make out where he was, but he couldn't see anything other than a red haze with indistinct shapes and glowing eyes.

Derek was panting heavily as he looked between the two figures in front of him. Every instinct in him told him to get out, but he noticed that the one figure who kept repeating his name intended on getting closer to him, while the other held a small needle.

Driven by his instinct, Derek immediately lunged at the figure that was closer to him. But as he does he encountered a force field causing him to get pushed back.

"Derek?" The figure's voice was faint, but Derek was still on guard to see the other figure come after him.

Before Deaton even had a chance to get a hold of Derek, the young werewolf grabbed a hold of him easily and threw him against Stiles as he escaped.

"That can't be good." Stiles told Deaton, who had been scratched by the scared werewolf.

* * *

Scott and Isaac arrived at the school hours later. They were walking through the corridor on their way to their history class.

"Thanks for last night by the way." Scott told Isaac. They were walking up the steps that lead to the east building that held their class.

"No offense, I've had dinner with your Dad for the past couple of days." Isaac told him, "And it's really awkward considering how he kept asking me what happened to my family and why I was staying with you guys."

"Sorry about that," Scott told him, "I told him not to go and do something like that."

"Believe me it won't be happening again." Isaac told him as they walked into their history class.

Not everyone in the pack was able to sit together in the history class, Landon and Kira had been branched off close to the windows on the side of the classroom, Micah and Isaac had been placed in the back, while Scott sat next to an empty seat that belonged to Stiles in the front of the class.

Mr. Yukimura already started the class, "It might surprise you to know that some of history's greatest leaders have had to endure some pretty great failures." Mr. Yukimura told his class, "One you'll recognize from last night's reading failed in business, had a nervous breakdown, was defeated for both houses of Congress, and lost as Vice President, before he was finally elected as one of the greatest presidents that this country has ever seen. Who was he?" Mr. Yukimura looked around the class and his eyes landed on Micah, who had been highlighting his entire textbook, "Micah."

Micah was completely caught off guard by the question. The poor werecoyote had a yellow highlighter in his mouth and a red one in his hand. He looked totally afraid like a deer in headlights.

Due to Micah not answering Mr. Yukimura Scott's phone rung in the class, "Scott, phones off." Mr. Yukimura told him. Scott did as instructed and Mr. Yukimura turned his attention back to Micah, "Micah? One of our greatest presidents. Gettysburg Address?"

Micah still doesn't have the answer and Kira was furiously waving her hand at her father.

There was another phone beep, "Phones off. Everyone." Mr. Yukimura instructed once more, "Micah?" Micah was frantically looking through his textbook, but by then Mr. Yukimura turned his attention to the class, "Does anyone else know?"

The entire class, aside from Scott, Landon, Kira, and Isaac, raised their hands. Micah slowly slid into his seat with embarrassment.

This time another phone made a beeping sound, "I said phones off!" Mr. Yukimura shouted to his quiet class.

"Dad," Kira voiced from her seat. "That was yours."

Mr. Yukimura was clearly embarrassed from his outburst as reached in his pocket to grab his phone, "Oh. Um..." He read the text he had gotten out, " _Scott call Stiles?_ " It came out as a question since he hadn't realized that Stiles had been absent in the first place.

* * *

At the Animal Clinic, Stiles was just finishing putting bandages on Deaton's injured arm when Scott, Isaac, and Landon arrived.

"I don't think he's just younger in body." Deaton told them once Stiles had finished wrapping him up, "I think he's younger in his  _mind_  too."

"He didn't recognize either of us." Stiles shared with some disappointment, "And he looked like he was  _scared_  out of his mind."

"So if you're a teenage werewolf and you're scared, where do you go?" Scott asked them.

"A wolf goes back to its  _den_." Landon answered knowingly, "But Derek lives in a  _loft_."

"Not when he was a  _teenager_." Stiles told them.

"The Hale House?" Isaac questioned.

"He wouldn't remember the fire." Deaton told them, "It wouldn't have happened yet."

"Hold on." Isaac said realizing where the conversation was going, "Say we do manage to catch up to him? What are we going to say to him? That his whole family is  _dead_?"

_At a construction site, Derek tore through a chain link fence and found the charred remnants of Hale House reduced to a pile of rubble within a rough outline of the home's stone foundation._

"I guess I'm going to have to." Scott said to them.

_He kneeled among the remaining boards, looking even more lost, scared, and confused._

"Oh... Good luck with that." Landon commented in a tone that clearly wasn't for the plan.

"He's probably right. Maybe you shouldn't." Isaac told Scott. "You know, at least until we figure out how to get him back to normal."

"I can't lie to him." Scott told them.

"I'll do it." Stiles volunteered.

"He'll know." Scott told her, "When we find him, we tell him the  _truth_."

"If he gets to the house first, you won't have to." Deaton told him.

* * *

Derek was still kneeling in the ruins when Deputy Parrish and another deputy arrived at the scene, "Excuse me, young man?" Deputy Parrish said getting Derek's attention.

"You're calling him young man?" His partner asked with some attitude.

"Shut up, Haigh." Parrish told his partner, "Sorry, but you can't be here." He told the distraught Derek.

Derek still doesn't make a move, "Hey, dumbass." Haigh said rudely, "You ever hear of no trespassing?"

"This is my house." Derek responded not looking at him.

"Nobody's been here for years, kid." Haigh continued, "Now get the hell out of here." He snapped.

"Haigh... Maybe a slightly gentler touch." Parrish suggested to his partner, before turning his attention to Derek, "Are you all right? We can help you if something's wrong."

"What happened to my house?" Derek questioned in fear and confusion. This time he looked up at Parrish, "Where's my family? Where's my mother?"

"All right, let's go." Haigh took a rough hold of Derek, "Now."

Due to Haigh's harsh tactic, Derek squeezed his arm hard enough to make the bigger man back off. In anger, Haigh pulled out his tazer and charged it up.

"Hold on, just take it easy." Parrish intervened, trying to prevent the problem from escalating any farther, "Haigh, would you... Don't... Wait!"

Not listening to his partner, Haigh immediately goes after Derek, but just before Haigh could make contact he gets hit by a force field that suddenly appeared around him and knocking the deputy unconscious.

To Parrish it looked like Derek simply had punched the officer. Parrish felt like Haigh had it coming anyway.

* * *

Derek was taken to the Sheriff's Station and handcuffed to the same bench where he and Chris Argent were handcuffed during the Nogitsune. Parrish approached the handcuffed teenage in a more gentle manner.

"The other deputy thinks I'm an idiot for even asking, but I have a feeling if I take these cuffs off, you're going to be okay?" Parrish asked the teen. Derek gave him a curious look, "And I think you'll help us figure out what happened to your family so that we can get you out of here. Am I right?"

Derek gave him a small head nod as the handcuffs clanged undone, "The other deputy's the idiot." Derek stated indicating at Haigh who had an ice pack on his face.

"I can't argue with that." Parrish agreed with a chuckle.

"Parrish, get over here." Haigh called from his desk. Parrish made his way to his desk, "I ran this kid's prints eight times. This is all that comes up."

On the screen, all that came up was Derek Hale's criminal record (confusing since he's an adult in the picture), "Derek Hale?" Parrish confused as well. The screen showed Derek's middle name starts with an "S" and listed his height as 6'0" with a weight of 171. The list also included his address and phone numbers. One number Parrish recognized.

"Hey, Sheriff there's something you would want to see." Deputy Parrish called out to his boss, "There's a Derek Hale only it's not…"

"Did you say Hale?" Sheriff Stilinski asked in confusion. Stiles had told him that Derek had some kind of emergency and that was way he hadn't been around in the past couple of months. He noticed the screen that held the picture of the older Derek and looked at the kid that was on the bench. He stared intently at Young Derek for a long time.

"Are you sure you ran those right?" The Sheriff asked Haigh.

"Ran them twice."

Then Sheriff made his way over to the bench and kneeled to the younger Derek, leaning in a bit closer and stared at him even more. Throughout the process, Young Derek was confused as to why he was getting stared at so intensely by the older man. The Sheriff raised to look again at the adult mugshot and back at the youngster.

The Sheriff was completely baffled, until Stiles and Scott both appeared running through the door. The Sheriff rubbed his face, "I'll handle this." The Sheriff told his deputies.

* * *

In his office, the Sheriff looked terrified, "I want you to be honest with me." He told Scott and Stiles, "Absolutely and completely honest." Scott nodded in agreement while Stiles made a half attempt gesture of agreeing, "Have you been  _time traveling_?"

"Hang on, what?" Stiles asked as if her father had lost his mind because out of all things she expected him to ask that wasn't one of them.

"Because if time traveling is real, you know what? I'm done. I'm out." The Sheriff ranted to them, "You're going to be driving  _me_  to Eichen House."

"We found him like that." Scott told him.

"Where?" The Sheriff asked leaning away from his desk so he could whisper yell at them, "Swimming in the  _fountain of youth_?"

"No." Stiles answered easily. The Sheriff raised his eyebrows at his daughter as she drawled out her answer, "We found him buried…" She rubbed the back of her neck nervously, "In a tomb of Wolfsbane… in an Aztec temple." She shared carefully as she watched her father's facial expression unfold, "In Mexico underneath a church…in the middle of a town that was destroyed…by an earthquake."

After a minor heart beat, "You told me you were  _camping_!" The Sheriff claimed incredulously to his daughter.

"Yeah, we were..." Stiles admitted, "In Mexico."

"Derek's been aged backwards. He can't remember anything." Scott explained to the Sheriff, "We just need to talk to him."

"Yeah, well, so far he's not talking to anybody." The Sheriff said with a tired sigh. If anything he was probably over the supernatural nonsense.

"He'll talk to me."

* * *

At least, that was Scott thought, but apparently Derek was wary of both of them, "Why would I go anywhere with you?" He asked the pair.

"There was an accident." Scott explained to him, while Stiles stood by. She had noticed a stack of mail on a desk and noticed a specific past due bill from Eichen House that had been marked as FINAL, "You lost some memory, but we can help you get it back."

"How much memory?" Derek asked.

"A lot." Scott told him as he kneeled to Derek's level, "But you can trust us." Scott flashed him his Alpha red eyes.

"You're an Alpha." Derek noticed, but he still wasn't convinced as he continued questioning, "Okay, who are you?" And then Derek switched his attention over to Stiles, "And who is she?" Stiles looked back over to Scott and Derek. "And why do you smell vaguely familiar?"

"Because I am your-," Stiles started to say, but she cut off as Scott elbowed her, "Lawyer." She spilled out earning her an eyebrow raise from the younger wolf, "You know the person keeping you out of jail." Stiles stated recovering quickly.

"Let us help you." Scott pressed to Derek, before Derek could retaliate to the obvious lie.

"No."

"Okay, look," Stiles reasoned when she got to Derek's level, "What  _really_  happened when that deputy with the ice pack tried to tazer you?" Parrish had given them the rundown of how he and Haigh had confronted Derek and Derek punching Haigh.

"He got hit by a barrier." Derek softly so no one could hear them.

"Right," Stiles agreed with him gently, "I put that there to protect you from getting hurt by anyone."

"Wha-"

"No questions," She interrupted him, holding up a finger, "You  _need_  to listen to us." She pressed toward him. "And that starts with no fangs, no claws, no  _wolf_  man.  _None_  of what you did at the clinic. You got that?"

Derek glanced between Scott and Stiles for a moment, "I'm fine as long as it's not on a full moon." Derek caved.

"You still have trouble with the full moon?"

"I said I'm fine." Derek snapped at her.

"All right," Stiles voiced holding her hands up as a sign of surrender, "You coming with us or not?"

"You want me to trust you?" Derek questioned them again with some doubt, "Where's my family?" This time the question was pointed at Scott.

"There was a fire. And..." Scott hesitated as he looked at the younger Derek, whose face began to fall with fear and worry, "They're not here anymore. They're fine." Scott lied, "Just had to move out of Beacon Hills. And we're going to take you to them as soon as we figure out how to get your memories back."

Both Derek and Stiles let breaths of relief, "Okay." Derek told him.

While Derek was being processed out, "I shouldn't have done that." Scott told Stiles guiltily as they watched Derek, "I lied my ass off."

"Hey, your ass is fine." Stiles assured him, "You saved him a ton of  _unnecessary_  pain. We'll figure this out in a day or two, he goes back to being old Derek, everyone's happy." She theorized to him, "Except for Derek, who may or may not kill me if he remembers any of this."

"It's just  _another_  person that we're lying to." Scott told her, "I always feel like it's always been better when we tell the truth. With Landon, my mom, your dad."

Stiles agreed completely, "Yeah, but that is Derek in there." She told him, "He may be a kid right now, but he's still Derek.  _My_  Derek."

"All right." Scott uttered as he patted Stiles on the shoulder, "Take him to my house and don't let him out of your sight."

"And where do you think you are going?"

"I'm going to go talk to the guy we should have gone to before." Scott told her just before he exited the station.

"Uh... Yeah," Stiles called out to him when she realized what he meant, "I  _hate_  that guy."

* * *

Landon, Isaac and Kira pulled up to the same gas station from the previous night, "Scott's going to find Peter." Isaac told them from the backseat, "And we're supposed to meet Stiles at Scott's house." Stiles had tried to leave Derek with Isaac earlier, but that didn't go so well.

"That sounds like a horrible plan." Landon commented as he started to unbuckle his seatbelt, "But we've had worse. Like yesterday in Mexico?" He peered pointedly at Kira.

"What happened in Mexico?" Isaac questioned.

"About that." Kira said nervously, "Remember how we were in the club and you and Scott were tied up to electrified cables?"

"Vividly."

"I know. I guess what I'm trying to ask is..." She struggled, "If my hand was on the dial connected to you and I had to turn it up to ten..."

"Would I be angry?" Landon asked finishing the fumbling statement.

"Yeah."

"No. Because I knew you had no choice." Landon told her, "Exactly like Scott knows. And if you're worried about him, just remember, you're a Katana-wielding, badass Kitsune." Kira smiled at the statement.

"What about Stiles?" Isaac asked, "Where was she in all this?"

"Trapped in this dirty bathroom called a prison with Micah." Landon told him. Isaac rolled his eyes and Landon caught the action, "Jealousy is not a good color on you." Landon told him.

"I'm not jealous." Isaac retorted defended himself, "I just don't trust him."

"And I'm almost sure that the feeling is _mutual_  between the two of you," Landon pointed out to him, "Maybe some folklore are true after all."

"Shouldn't you be doing something?" Isaac questioned the Reaper in an annoyed tone.

Landon smirked at the deflection, "Well..." Landon said as he opened his car door, "Kira grab a card from the visor so we can fill up. The Beacon Hills Credit Union." Landon instructed as he walked off.

Kira pulled down the visor and noticed a row full of credit cards, "Does this many cards mean you have good credit or bad?" She asked Isaac, who responded with 'I don't know' gesture. Kira happened to look at the gas indicator, "Hey, it looks like you have... A full tank." Kira shouted out to Landon.

"Something smells weird." Isaac claimed suddenly. He took another whiff and made a face of disgust, "Smells like death."

Kira and Isaac quickly exited the car and started to search for Landon. As they got closer to the building, "That smell is getting worse." Isaac commented.

They found Landon on the side of the building staring into a room, not moving. "Landon are you okay?" Kira asked sensing something wrong.

"Don't look." Landon advised them, but the advice went unheeded as Isaac and Kira turned and looked into the blood soaked room.

* * *

Stiles was focusing on the road, while Derek or Young Derek as she kept calling him inside her head kept shuffling around in the passenger seat. At first, it wasn't so annoying since he had been adjusting himself in the first place.

However, when he made another move for the 50th time she had just about had it, "Will you, for the love of God, please stop with the constant moving around?" Stiles asked him, "We're almost there."

"Well maybe if you could do something about that smell you're giving off I wouldn't have to." Derek shot at her.

"Are you saying that I  _stink_?" Stiles accused him.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Derek told her with no filter, "You smell of Scott, which is understandable since he's the Alpha. But you also reek of another wolf."

"That would be Isaac, you know the guy you nearly attacked," Stiles told him, "He's part of the pack and has been helping me with something for the past couple of months."

"Oh," Derek commented almost as if he had realized something, "So you're his mate then?"

Stiles bit back a laugh that she felt forming at the bottom of her throat, "No, he's just a really good friend."

"Then why do you have that mark on your neck?" Derek questioned and automatically Stiles touched the said mark, "Werewolves tend to leave that kind of mark just above the person's neck when they are soul-bonded to them. A soul-bond is rare, but to a human it's even rarer."

"Oh?" Stiles commented acting as if she never heard of it before.

"So if he's not your mate, then who is?"

"Why are you still asking?" Stiles deflected easily.

"Why are you answering a question with another question?"

"Let's just say it's a mutual friend."

"It's not my Uncle Peter is it?" It took everything in Stiles not to hurl at the thought, while Derek leaned over and took another sniff, "I mean you smell so  _familiar."_

"Hey how about we stop sniffing Stiles." Stiles offered to him and pushed him away, "In fact no more sniffing or asking Stiles questions until we figure this out."

There was a moment of silence between them when Derek spoke again, "You're not really a lawyer, are you?" He questioned with a smirk.

"What did I just say?"

* * *

It was slightly dark, when Scott arrived at the Derek's loft on his motorbike. He was surprised to see that Micah was standing outside waiting for him, "What are you doing here?"

"I heard you were coming to talk to Peter." He told him, "And since everyone, so far, has told me he's basically Satan in a V-neck, I figured you shouldn't be alone."

"I can  _handle_  Peter." Scott told him. When Micah had first started his training with Scott, everyone had noticed just at how intensely Peter was watching him as they practiced. It was like Peter knew what they knew.

Of course, after learning their lessons so many times with Peter, the pack had decided to keep Micah away from Peter at all times. That and there was another as well.

"You can handle him better with me." Micah told him confidently as he led the way to the loft.

* * *

It was now dark when Stiles and Derek arrived at the McCall residence, "We're going to wait here for Scott." She told him in a business tone, "We're going to sit quietly. We're not going to call or talk to anyone." She told him.

"Do I talk to you?" Derek asked as they walked through the living room.

"I rather you didn't." Stiles told him. After what happened earlier she really wasn't in the mood to be grilled for more information.

"Fine. Good." Derek quirked at her, obviously annoyed that she didn't answer his question from earlier. "Who's going to talk to him?" He asked tilting his head toward the kitchen.

Right inside said kitchen stood Agent McCall with a bag of some take-out, "Are you getting taller?" Stiles asked jumping when she caught sight of the Agent.

"What are you guys doing here?" Agent McCall asked the pair.

Before Stiles could even lie, "We're waiting for Scott." Derek told him with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, so am I. We're supposed to have dinner." Agent McCall told them as he set the food down on the kitchen table, "I brought extra. You guys hungry?"

"Yeah."

"No." Stiles answered at the exact time Derek answered, "We're not hungry." She told the Agent.

"No, I'm starving." Derek claimed, looking at her.

"Neither of us are hungry." She said completely contradicting everything Derek was saying, "Thanks, though."

"Okay, well if you're not hungry, Stiles," Agent McCall said to her, "Your friend can still eat with us. What's your name?"

"Miguel." Stiles answered quickly, before Derek could even answer. This earned her getting another look from Derek. "My cousin Miguel…" She threw an arm over his shoulder, gave it a good squeeze along with a fake laugh, "From Mexico. So..." Next thing Stiles knew Agent McCall started speaking in Spanish to Derek, "Oh my God." She mumbled softly.

She just wanted to get Derek upstairs already, but no. Derek too had also started speaking flawless Spanish to Agent McCall, which just left her a bit shocked and impressed.

"Fantastic." Agent McCall expressed in English, "Egg roll?"

"Hell, yeah." Derek cheered as he gave a laugh and flashed a smile at Stiles before he went to the kitchen. Stiles stood in the living room laughing nervously as she watched Derek and Agent McCall sort out the food.

"Shrimp fried rice or pork fried rice?" Agent McCall asked in the kitchen.

"Shrimp fried rice." Derek said to the Agent, "Beef and broc-"

Never had Stiles wished so much for the link to be working, "Unbelievable." She mumbled to herself, "Fantastic! Egg roll." Stiles feigned happiness aloud as she headed into the kitchen with the guys.

* * *

When Micah and Scott entered through the loft Micah noticed Scott's strange behavior, "What's wrong with you?" Micah asked him as they walked through the dark empty loft.

"Nothing."

"Your heart's pounding like  _crazy_." Micah said as they walked through the room, "Are you nervous?"

"He's just bad at introductions." A new voice told him, Scott and Micah both turned to see Peter sitting on the couch reading a magazine.

"Peter..." Scott said not fully expecting Peter to actually be sitting there waiting on them, "This is Micah."

Peter looked over at Micah from the couch and dropped the magazine he had been reading. Micah was starting to get some major creeper vibes going on, "Beautiful eyes." Peter said with some interest, "Did you get them from your father?"

"Mother." Micah commented as he stepping beside Scott feeling fully creeped out. He had noticed the way Peter had been watching as he trained with Scott too, but meeting this guy was a more unsettling than he thought.

"Interesting." Peter commented, before he lost interest, "Anyway, I'm sure they've told you a lot about me."

"The  _homicidal_  killing spree came up." Micah spoke to him, still standing beside Scott.

"Well, we're all works in progress." Peter told him casually.

"Well, when you progress to your next killing spree, why don't you try and make sure they all stay dead?" Micah snapped at him.

Peter turned his attention toward the coyote and the Alpha, "What is  _that_  supposed to mean?"

"What do you know about people being turned by a scratch?" Scott asked already wanting to get out there himself.

"Did you scratch someone, Scott?" Peter questioned him in feign worry, "Don't worry about it, the claws have to go pretty deep."

"But it's possible." Scott reiterated, "Like if you  _clawed_  out someone's throat?"

"Well, yeah, it's possible. It's also beyond rare." Peter admitted, "We're talking one in a... ...million." Then he realized who they were talking about.

* * *

Stiles was sitting between Agent McCall and Derek at the table in silence until, "So, uh, Miguel." Agent McCall asked, "What did you say your last name was again?"

"Oh, it's Juarez." Stiles answered quickly with her mouth full, "Cinqua... Tiago."

"That's a mouthful." Agent McCall said as he took a bite of his food, "How do you spell that?"

Derek made it a point to look at Stiles with a look. A look that clearly told her to go ahead and finish telling him whatever lies she had planned.

"Phonetically."

As Derek reached over to get more food he noticed a badge on the table, "Mr. McCall, you're an FBI agent?"

"He's low level." Stiles said, wishing that Derek would just shut up, "Very low level. He doesn't even have a voice."

"So do you investigate murders?" Derek asked ignoring Stiles glances and also the kick under the table she gave him.

"Sometimes." Agent McCall said oblivious to Stiles reactions, "When it's a Federal crime."

"What about fires?"

Stiles released a nervous laugh, "Oh my God, I wonder where Scott is." Stiles pondered to them choking down her food, "Shouldn't Scott be here by now? We should  _definitely_  call Scott."

But neither of them were paying her any attention, "What kind of fires are you talking about?"

Stiles could practically feel the earth still when Derek asked the one question she was hoping to avoid all night, "Do you know anything about the Hale family?"

* * *

"Can't someone in this town  _stay_  dead?" Peter asked with frustration.

"I think they were hoping you would." Micah said in a tone.

"How rude," Peter commented, looking to Scott, "Even after I helped with the Nogitsune."

Scott rolled his eyes at Peter theatrics. Yes, Peter had helped him rescue Stiles from her subconscious and had helped the twins fight off the Oni, but Scott knew better. Peter didn't people unless he had something to benefit from it. So far Peter had done nothing shady…yet.

"Do you have any idea why Kate would turn Derek into a teenager again?" Scott asked.

"What color were his eyes?" Peter asked him.

"Blue."

"After Paige." Peter commented, "Which could mean around the time he first met Kate."

This was the first time Scott was hearing about this, "Derek and Kate  _knew_  each other?"

"Biblically." Peter said and noticed the look of shock on Scott's face, "That's right, Scott. You weren't the  _first_  wolf to climb into a  _hunter's_  bed."

* * *

When Derek had gotten his answer at the table, he seemed perfectly okay. Which Stiles was really shocked about and felt relieved, but the moment they were alone in Scott's room and she shut the door, Derek's mood changed completely.

Stiles found herself being forced up against the closed door with a very pissed off Derek. Derek had both of his hands on each side of her head, glaring right at her eyes glowing blue, "Okay, I didn't lie." She defended herself quickly, but she received a growl, "Okay, I omitted certain truths." She confessed as Derek made another growling sound and moved away. Stiles slowly moved away from the door, " _Vital_  truths now that I think about it."

"I don't want to talk to you." Derek informed her angrily when he turned his attention back to her, "I want to talk to the Alpha. I'll talk to Scott." His tone changed from anger to upset.

"Okay." Stiles quickly agreeing with him, "I'm going to go get him. My phone's downstairs. Going to call him real quick." She said, opening the door ready to leave the room when she turned back to him, "Give me your hand."

"What? Why?" Derek snapped at her, "Go call Scott. Now!"

"I will just give me your hand first." She pressed as she stepped closer to him, but Derek doesn't move an inch, "Look, I'm sorry you had to find out like that. Just give me your hand."

Derek gave her a cautious look, but held out his hand. When Stiles gripped it, he felt a warm sensation overcome his body. As she pulled away Derek looked at a key that had been wrapped by a thread in his hand.

"What is this for?" He questioned looking at the key, "And what was that?" He asked her as he started to feel safe and could feel an invisible pull coming from her. It took a second for it click right then, "Wait you're mine aren't you?" As a look of realization fell on his face while Stiles just stared at him, "You're my mate."

Stiles remained poker-faced and there was a beat, "I have no idea what you're talking about." Stiles denied finally, "Just put it on and stay just here, just don't move, okay?" She told him, before he could question her farther. She had felt it too, it was the bond resettling between them.

Stiles turned as Derek watched her leave with a confused expression, "Don't move." She was out the door, but not a second later she popped her head back through the threshold, "I thought you..." She mumbled, but continued down the hall. As she did, Derek could feel it again and was confused more than ever because something told him that she was absolutely lying.

* * *

"Okay, Derek went to the site of the house thinking it was still there, right?" Peter asked once Scott had filled him in on the situation.

"Yeah. But he doesn't remember the fire."

"But if he doesn't remember the fire, then he doesn't remember that it was Kate that set it." Peter said to them.

"So what does that mean?" Micah asked, knowing something about their situation was not going to end well.

"Kate didn't just take him back to being a teenager." Peter told them, "She took him back to the age where he still knew her. When he still  _trusted_  her."

"But he's with Stiles," Scott shared with him, "Wouldn't he trust her more?"

"Not exactly," Peter expressed, "Especially since he didn't trust the two of you in the beginning."

* * *

While Derek waited for Stiles to come back, he wore the key as instructed. For reasons he couldn't understand he continued getting the same warm feeling. Almost of home and family. He was certain that she was his, but nothing was making sense. The more he thought about it the more confused he got. He was still trying to piece together what was going on when the door to Scott's bathroom creaked and Kate Argent appeared from the shadows.

"Kate?" Derek asked more confused now that than ever.

"Hey, handsome." She spoke leaning on the door frame, with a smile on her face. She made her way over to Derek, "Been a long time." She said with a small laugh, "Longer than you think."

Stiles was walking her way back to the room with Scott on the phone, "No, he's in your bedroom, he'll be totally fine. I didn't tell him..." She spoke making her way down the hall, "To be honest, this one has _more_ anger issues than Derek did when we met him. So, if you actually think that Kate's coming to find him..."

In that exact moment, Stiles turned into Scott’s room just in time to see Kate absconded out the window with Derek. In reaction, Stiles formed an energy ball in her palm and threw it at Kate, but missed just as Kate gave her a smile and disappeared as well, "You might be right."


	4. 117 pt.2

At the loft, Peter was ready jump into action when Scott was quick to stop him, "Wait." Scott urged at him.

"For what?" Peter asked hurriedly, "Kate's out there twisting her way into Derek's head yet  _again_. We need to find her."

"All we need's a scent." Micah suggested trying to help.

"That could take hours." Scott told him, "Stiles gave him the key, but she's not exactly sure if she could get his exact location, since somehow she's getting blocked." Scott told them, "If that is another Kate's doing from what she did to him, we need to get ahead of her, we need to figure out where she's going."

"Not to underestimate my own cognitive faculties, but we're not exactly a brain trust of  _geniuses_  here." Peter told him.

"Then maybe we should call one." Scott suggested to him.

Landon clued in Scott of the discovery he found in the gas station bathroom, "We called Stilinski." Landon told Scott over the phone. He and Kira were still in the bathroom, while Isaac went to meet up with Stiles, "They're on their way."

"What does it look like?" Scott questioned, "Can you send pictures?"

"Uh, okay." Landon said, he and Kira stood at various parts of the bathroom as Landon took clear pictures of the murder scene, "To be honest, I have a 4.0 in  _AP_  Biology and there are parts of the human anatomy I have  _never_  seen before on these walls."

Both Kira and Landon quivered as they moved around trying not to step on any of bloody spots. There were parts all on the walls and some of the blood continued on sliding down the walls. And as for the body, the guy's head appeared to be missing.

Peter, Scott, and Micah examined the pictures that Landon had sent over, "Why would she want to kill a gas station attendant?" Micah asked.

"I don't think she could help it." Peter realized as he took a turn looking over the photos, "This was done in a frenzy. It's not a murder. It's a symptom."

"Of what?" Scott asked.

"She can't  _control_  the shift."

"Derek said he had the same issue on the full moon." Scott remembered from the police station, "That he was still learning."

"Kate's still learning?" Micah asked.

"She  _wants_  to learn." Peter corrected him as he handed Scott's phone back to him. It was starting to make sense now.

"So she wants Derek to teach her?" Micah guessed.

"No. She wants the Triskelion."

* * *

Kate and Derek arrived at Beacon Hills High School. Kate was hurriedly leading the way, but it was Derek who was following behind slowly, "What's wrong?" Kate asked him.

"I don't know about this." Derek said stopping them in the tunnel, "I'm not supposed to show the vault to anyone outside my family."

Kate gave him a thoughtful look, "Come on, we talked about this."

"Yeah, but, how do you even know?" Derek knew that his memory was missing, but he still wasn't exactly sure about a lot of things that were coming into play.

"Because you told me. Don't you remember?" She asked him, of course she knew he didn't remember, but Derek was looking like he was ready to turn back at any moment. "Tell me if you remember this." As Kate tried to place a hand on him, she hits the force field Stiles had placed on him.

Kate looked at him with surprise, "What is this?"

"I don't know." Derek told her, "It happened to me earlier today." He remembered at the construction site, "That Stiles person said that she put it on me to protect me. In case anyone tried to hurt me." Then Derek started to look at Kate questioningly.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Kate assured him, "We get inside the vault. We get the Triskelion. Figure out how to get rid of that and then everything goes back to normal."

"That's all you want?" Derek asked her.

"That's all we need." She told him, "But right now we have to get inside that vault."

Derek gave her a smile and led Kate to the Beacon Hills High School sign. He inserted his claws into the metal grate on the side of the brick sign and gave it a twist. The sign slid back revealing a staircase leading underground.

"Why would your family build a vault under a high school?" Kate asked him.

"The vault was here first." Derek stated with a smirk.

* * *

When Scott, Micah, and Peter arrived at the school, Micah suddenly started smelling the air, "Did you catch a scent?" Scott asked him.

Micah shook his head, "It's the same one." He slowly realized, "The same one as Mexico."

"What is he talking about?" Peter asked them.

Scott took a sniff of the air as well smelling the exact same thing, "One of them came after us in the Church ruins..." Scott's voice trailed.

"And one on the road." Micah told him.

"They couldn't have followed us here." Scott figured, "But they could've been brought, by Kate."

Just then the air was filled with a low growling sound, "Oh, I've heard that sound before." Peter said instantly, "Did it have an animal skull? A human wearing a skull over its face?"

"I think so." Micah answered.

"What are they?" Scott questioned

"Berserkers." Peter shared just as a figure made of bone appeared from the darkness releasing another growl at them. Micah instinctively tried to go at it, but Peter quickly grabbed him by the arm to hold him back, "Are you crazy?"

"There's just one of them." Micah claimed trying to pull away from Peter, still ready to attack.

"And that means we have a chance."

"To beat him?" Micah questioned with some eagerness.

"To survive." With that being said Peter had no problem leaving Scott and Micah to fend for themselves.

* * *

Derek was already searching for the disk, while Kate was examining a metal safe that stood in the center of the vault.

Derek told her, "Not that." As he held up the disk he had been looking for.

Scott and Micah had managed to get away from the berserker, but were soon faced with another that made a low growl at them.

"Scott. It's  _both_  of them." Micah reported as he halted in the corridor, "They're both here."

"Where the hell's Peter?" Scott demanded as the other berserker from before had caught up with them. Scott and Micah stood back to back from each other.

"I don't know." Micah said not taking his eye of the skull-figured creature in front of him, "He just took off."

"This is it?" Kate asked curiously, "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Derek said confidently.

"It doesn't look like much." She noted as she examined it in her hands.

"That's 'cause it isn't." A new voice echoed through the vault. Both Derek and Kate turn to see Peter entering the vault.

"Uncle Peter?" Derek asked confused as to why his uncle looked so much older than he remembered.

"Quite the elaborate scheme you have here, Kate." Peter said ignoring his confused nephew, "Two countries, Aztec temples, Derek returned to a teenager. One that  _trusted_  you. One that  _loved_  you." He gloated, "All this  _complication_  just to gain access to our vault. Just to get your hands on that little piece of junk. Turn it over." He said with his arms folded, "Go ahead. There's a scrape on the back where it used to say "Made in China.""

"You're lying." Kate gritted at him.

"I admit I have a tendency to  _exaggerate_  things." Peter confessed as he started to circle around her, "But in this case the truth is so much more fun." He said as he watched Kate's face fall into disappointment when she saw that he was telling the truth, "Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart, that little pendant is just a  _physical_  object to focus on. It's  _training_  wheels. Talia used it to teach Laura. I tried to use it to teach Derek."

* * *

Micah and Scott were now facing off with the berserkers. Each dealing with one on their own. However, the berserkers were a lot faster than the two were-creatures. The one Micah had been facing off managed to cut him in his leg once more as the other fought Scott and smashed his head into the column. Scott released a loud roar on the impact.

In fact, the roar was so loud that it could be heard throughout the school campus including in the underground vault. Derek looked around worriedly.

"Is this real?" Kate questioned to Derek, " _Tell_  me if this is real." She demanded, she tried once again to make a grab at him, but was once again blocked by the force field.

"Didn't you hear that?" Derek countered back, "That was Scott. I just heard Scott..." Scott was there...that would mean she was with him also.

"Tell me!" Kate demanded breaking Derek out of his reverie.

"I don't know." Derek snapped at her as he headed toward the exit of the vault, "And I don't care!" Without a second thought, Derek abandoned Kate. Leaving her alone with a smiling Peter.

* * *

Stiles, Landon, and Isaac both arrived at the school running through the tunnel. They stopped as they too heard the sound of Scott's roar.

"You  _seriously_  need to find something  _better_  than a baseball bat." Landon told Stiles when he noticed she had grabbed her bat.

"Well, I could use something else, but lately people have been giving me the stink eye if I do." She countered to him.

"Guys, now is not the time to be arguing." Isaac told them as he took a sniff to the air, "It smells like death around here."

"Okay, fine Isaac you and Landon go find Derek," Stiles told them, "He's around here somewhere. I can feel it. I'll go help Scott."

"Be careful, Stiles." Landon warned her. Stiles gave him a head nod as she broke out into a run disappearing in front of them after a couple strides.

"Let's go." Landon told Isaac.

* * *

Scott and Micah were now at the stairs in the east corridor of the school. They were still on run as the berserkers chased after them easily without a problem. Doesn't mean they were problem free though, Scott and Micah were both injured and had hit a dead end at the end of a corridor. Just when they were about to get attacked Kira jumped in over the railing as she slashed at the berserkers with her sword.

She managed to knock one away, but she was so focused on the one she didn't realize that other had recovered and was making its attack on her.

"Kira!" Scott shouted. Too little too late, the other recovering berserker managed to disarm her with a punch to the face and tossed her to the ground with the others.

When the berserkers started to bear down on them, Stiles materialized in front of them and was in awe of the skeleton-figures. It only lasted for a second as Stiles dropped the bat and held her hands up in front of her just as both berserkers came swinging at her.

As expected, they do hit the blue force field surrounding Stiles and the others, but something happened that never has happened before. It stayed visible with what appeared to be a crack in it. One of the bones from the berserkers had managed to get through narrowly missing Stiles' face.

"Oh, that can't be good." Stiles mumbled, just before the two berserkers made another attack. This time together and destroying the force field completely in a shattering-glass effect, knocking Stiles onto the ground with the others.

"You okay?" Scott questioned seeing the red markings making an appearance.

"I'm fine." Stiles assured him, even though the lines on her neck were stretched down to her shoulders and were turning into a darker shade of red.

"Anyway you can get us all out at the same time?" Scott questioned, leaving the rest of the question unspoken.

"Not a chance." Stiles told him as the berserkers inched closer to them. The berserkers were about to attack Stiles and the pack, when a small figure appeared in front of them swiping at the berserkers, forcing them back.

It was only for a second when the figure turned and revealed to be young Derek with his eyes glowing blue staring right at Stiles, "You are." He spoke before taking on the berserkers.

* * *

Peter and Kate were still in the vault discussing the metal disk that Kate held in her hand, "Derek gave up on it back when he learned another way to control the shift." Peter told her, "When I taught him. I taught him to use  _emotion_." He said with some pride, "To use anger and to  _focus_  on it. To  _feel_  every ounce of rage and hatred that he could summon. It was the anger that  _taught_  him control."

Peter finally came to a full stop, "Of course, that changed after he met Stiles, but you want to learn to control it?" He taunted at her as he flashed his claws, "You want to get angry, Kate. Let's get angry!"

Both Kate and Peter were ready to fight, when several smoke grenades were tossed down into the vault exploding with a flash near Peter. While Kate was being choked by the smoke, she was otherwise unhindered by the attack. Peter was partially blinded and unable to get up as a figure in black boots walked slowly into the vault, opened the safe, removed a large briefcase and walked out.

"Wait!" Peter yelled as the figure came and went.

Young Derek was still going against the berserkers and the force field Stiles had put around him had already been broken due to one of the bones making impact. Even though the berserkers had gotten in some good shots, Derek continued on fighting.

While watching the fight, Scott noticed that every time one of the berserkers managed to get a hit in Derek's face turned into his older version, but quickly changed back to his younger self.

Before the fight could progress, there was a sound of a loud growl that filled the air, apparently Kate calling them, and they disengaged from their fight with Derek.

* * *

Isaac and Landon made it to the vault only to find Peter starting at the empty metal safe, "It was never... Never about the Triskelion." Peter realized, "They took it, they took it while I was blinded."

"Took what?" Isaac asked him.

"Bonds." Peter replied in a daze, "Bearer bonds and they took them all."

"Bearer bonds? Are you saying you got robbed?" Then Isaac gestured all around the underground vault, "This was a  _heist_? Somebody  _planned_  this?"

"How much did they take?" Landon asked noticing the expression Peter wore on his face.

"117..."

"Thousand?" Isaac guessed.

"Million."

* * *

The were-creatures had finally healed from their wounds by the berserkers, as young Derek turned back to them. His eyes were still glowing blue as he made his way over to Stiles, while making a low growling sound.

Micah attempted to make a move toward them, but Kira and Scott held him back as they watched Derek stand in front of Stiles.

"You  _are_  my mate." He said to her, placing his hand on her cheek, "You're my  _soulmate_."

Stiles remained silent, but gave him a slow head nod. In response, Derek leaned in and placed a light kiss right on her lips as he slowly began to shift.

"Derek?" Stiles questioned when she sees Derek as an adult with a beard. He gave her a nod and without even thinking Stiles automatically gripped him into a hug as Derek wrapped her tightly in his arms.

However, from behind Stiles' back Scott noticed that Derek eyes weren't glowing their normal blue anymore. Instead, they were glowing the beta yellow and Derek looked quite disturbed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "Wait," Coach says in his office, "What? When did this happen?"
> 
> "Remember when Stiles kept disappearing?" Isaac asks easily.
> 
> "She wasn't the only one that kept disappearing." Coach reminds him. "Wait is that why the two of you were-"
> 
> "Yes, Coach." Stiles inputs, "Isaac and I were-"
> 
> "Stop right there," Coach points at her, "I don't want to hear it. I'm just trying to understand as to why we are having this conversation."


	5. Muted pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because I'm curious, what do you guys want to see happening this season? I'll try and incorporate your ideas in it if possible cause y'all are awesome.

In a dark quiet neighborhood a teenage boy stood on the outside of his porch, "Willow!" He called out, but there was no reply. Not even a source of movement either. He could hardly see anything with the one streetlight that just so happened to be working. He waited for a few seconds before he went back inside.

"Mom, I can't find her." He said once he's back inside. But he also doesn't get a reply as well. He thought nothing of it as he went room to room downstairs and turned out the lights before heading to the second floor and going to bed.

Once he made it to his room and was about ready to turn off his desk lamp, he noticed some strange markings on his carpet. He moved the lamp from his nightstand to get a better look and discovered there were dirty paw prints on the carpet and they were leading under his bed.

He followed the trial under the bed and found his cat "Willow" peering back. He brought down the desk lamp to get a better look and discovered that his black and white cat was covered in something.

He reached under the bed to figure what exactly his cat was covered in it was sticky. When he placed his hand under the light he noticed that his hand was covered in blood.

In that moment just outside his bedroom door, screaming and shouting filled the air. He quickly raced to open the door and just as he does something walked out into the hall and it was a dark figure. The boy could tell that the figure was holding some kind of weapon.

The shadowy assailant lifted up his arm. On it he wore a small keyboard on his arm and began typing on it, "Hello, Sean." An automated voice said to him, "I just killed your family. Do you want to die like them?"

The boy rushed back inside his room and slammed the door just as a head of a tomahawk slammed through it. He quickly rushed to the bathroom and locked it behind him and began to rummage through drawers looking for a weapon.

Meanwhile, the door from the hall to his bedroom gave way and the vintage glass crystal doorknob turned as the figure stepped into the room, "Begging for your life? Or do you want to fight?" He asked just outside the bathroom door.

Inside Sean had found nothing of use, "I'll give you some help." The man continued typing, "Wrap a towel around your fist, smash the mirror. Use one of the shards to defend yourself." The assailant instructed, "Go ahead. I'm waiting."

Sean was already in a panic and did just as the man had advised him and looked right at the mirror in the bathroom.

On the outside of the bathroom, the attacker heard the sound of glass break within, "Are you ready, Sean? Because here I come."

Without wasting another second, he kicked opened the door only to discover an empty room. When the attacker looked around the room it became apparent that Sean had broken the bathroom window.

As the attacker peered out of the window, he could see Sean running away from the house in the middle the street below.

If anyone had actually been up and peeking out their own windows to see what had happened, from the bathroom room window they would've seen the shadow of a man.

Even better if they were in the right angle of that one working streetlight they could see the attacker and discover that the man had no mouth, just smooth skin from his nose to his chin, holding a bloody tomahawk.

* * *

When Stiles woke up in the loft, the week after they rescued Derek from Mexico, she found herself witnessing a sit down between Derek, Peter, and Braeden. Derek wasn't paying to attention because he was busy staring at his reflection of his own eyes in a pair of sunglasses while Peter and Braeden were simply staring at each other, like they were about to go to war.

It was amusing considering the face Peter was making towards the woman, "That table's Italian." Peter commented clearly not amused by Braeden's rude guest manners.

"So are these boots." Braeden countered in an uncaring manner and not removing her shoes off the table, "Are we going to talk interior designing fashion or are we going to talk numbers?"

Peter gave her a glaring look as he wrote down a number on a piece of paper. He slid the paper over to her. Braeden took one look at the sheet and automatically crossed out the written number and replaced it with one of her own. Peter took one look and was now more unimpressed.

"We're hiring you to find Kate," Peter told her, "Not assassinate the President." He slid the paper back across the table.

"I was hired by the Calaveras to find Kate." Braeden restated carrying a business tone, "You're hiring me to find her first. Going  _against_  the Calaveras is what's going to cost you."

While the two were bickering Stiles made her way over to Braeden's side of the table and peeked over the woman's shoulder at the price and couldn't hide the shock on her face, "Whoa that has got to be more than my MRI bill and my visit to Eichen House." She commented.

"My point exactly." Peter said agreeing with Stiles.

"But they weren't exactly team human either, Landon was tied up to an electric circuit."

"You're not helping." Peter told her.

"Sorry, I'm not here to help you." Stiles countered with fake sympathy.

Before Peter can retort back Derek interrupted, "We'll pay. Just find Kate, that's all we want." Derek said to Braeden.

Braeden gave a simple head nod and Peter removed himself from the table in an 'I'm so done with you' manner.

Braeden left without another word. By the time she was gone Peter had turned his attention to Derek, "Are you insane?" Peter asked him as he slammed the loft door closed.

"We don't have a choice." Derek told him as he got up from the couch to face his uncle, "We spent a week looking for her and came up with nothing."

"If we don't find out, who told Kate about the vault, we don't get those bonds back!" Peter shouted at him, "What do you think I'm gonna do then, huh? Get a job?"

"Wow," A new voice appeared out of nowhere, they turn to see Isaac walking through the loft, "That's what you're most worried about? Getting a job?"

"My resume is  _slightly_  out of date." Peter informed him.

"Makes me question more about your age." Stiles mumbled.

"Aren't you both supposed to be at school or something?" Peter gritted now annoyed at the two teens.

"He's right. You guys should focus on school," Derek said to Stiles and Isaac, "This isn't something for either of you to worry about."

"When it concerns you I have every right to be." Stiles countered back to him. They had been having this same argument for the past week. "She had you for two months!"

"You could get hurt. Both of you."

"That's starting to sound really old." Stiles mumbled as she stood in front of him.

"I'm not having you put yourself at risk." Derek snapped at her. Stiles wasn't shocked to say the least, "Especially when  _she's_  out there."

Stiles simply stared at him, "Okay." She found herself saying when she realized it why was so important, Derek's face softened at the sound of her word, "I get it."

 _You do really?_  Derek's voice echoed into her head.

_Yes_

_So you'll stay out of it_

_Scout's honor_

_Good_ Derek placed a kiss on her forehead, _Now get to school._

When Stiles finally left, Isaac stayed behind and Peter resumed his temper tantrum, "Now that that  _sickening_  moment is over, we were robbed, Derek." Peter said, " _Robbed_."

Peter reached and grabbed Derek's shoulder. In response, Derek spun and grabbed the offending arm. His eyes glowed the same yellow as he growled at his uncle, "Oh, that's a new look for you." Peter commented as Derek yanked his hand away.

"Whoa." Isaac commented at the scene, "What happened to your eyes?"

"I don't know." Derek said now more calmly, "But I'm willing to pay to find out."

"Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Derek shook his head, "I actually wanted to talk about Stiles."

* * *

At Beacon Hills High School Lacrosse Field, "Of course you're still the team captain." Stiles assured Scott. It was another lacrosse placement test and this time Stiles was going to be out on the field with him, "You got your grades up just like Coach told you to, right?"

"Yeah, but he never told me I was back on the team." He informed her, "He just told me to show up at tryouts today."

"We got bigger things to deal with anyway." Stiles told him, "Did you tell Argent yet? Better yet did you tell Allison?"

"Ah." Scott said as he took out his phone, "I texted him, but he hasn't gotten back to me." He told her as he looked at his empty screen.

Stiles gave him a gaping look, "You told him his  _sister_  Kate came back from the dead over a  _text_?" She asked in an incredulous tone, "Wait, did you do the same thing to Allison?"

Scott gave her a shameful head nod as Stiles raised an eyebrow at him, "I didn't have the money to call France." He reasoned.

Stiles nodded understandingly, "Yeah, you think you got money problems?" She commiserated, "Try paying for an MRI and a stay to Eichen House."

"Another notice?" Scott asked her.

"Yeah, this one said, "Final." And even though I escaped under their watch they don't seem to care." She looked out into the field. There were freshmen all over the place, "Now, what the hell are we even doing here anyway?" She whined to him.

Scott knew what she was really whining for, "I thought Derek told you to stay out of it?"

"Derek should know better already."

"Would it actually kill you to listen to him for once?"

"One of these days it actually might."

Scott gave her an unimpressed look, "Didn't you promise?"

"I gave him the Scout's honor."

There was a beat of silence as considered her words, "You never  _stayed_  in the scouts."

Stiles easily deflected toward him, "We got like a 117 million problems, my borderline lying and worrying about our status on the lacrosse team, is not one of them."

Just then a sound of the whistle filled the air and the freshmen recruits started practicing the drills, "It is now." Scott told her as he indicated out onto the field.

Two freshmen were shooting lacrosse balls toward the goal. However, the freshman player occupying the goal hadn't let anything past him during the early morning practice, "Who the hell is that?" Stiles questioned as they both watched as the freshman caught all the balls that were being thrown at him.

"Nice, Liam." One of them congratulated out on the field, "You might just be our first ever freshman captain."

Scott gave Stiles a panicked look, "Okay, maybe we should just practice a little bit." Stiles told him.

* * *

Melissa McCall and a new doctor, Dr. Geyer, were discussing Beacon Hills Hospital's financial troubles, "The nursing staff's already spread too thin." He shared with her as they walked the hospital halls, "I know there's never a good place to make cuts, but this hospital has seen a bizarre amount of damage and the insurance isn't going to cover it. We have to cut back." He informed her as he looked through the sheets.

"Maybe I can pull some money from pediatrics..." She offered. After what happened with the Alpha Pack and then Stiles' possession it didn't come as a surprise that it wasn't going to get covered. She was just glad that Danny had managed to erase the security footage to keep Stiles and the Sheriff from suffering more than necessary.

"Your shift is over." Dr. Geyer informed her, "I'm exhausted just looking at you. Please go home and get some sleep."

"I need to get some dinner first."

"Melissa... It's 7:00am." He noted at the clock behind her.

At that moment, Sean arrived at the Emergency Room door. He pushed it open and left a bloody handprint on the glass and collapsed to the tiled floor.

Later in the morgue, Melissa and Sheriff Stilinski were examining the body of Sean's mom on the examination table. She suffered deep lacerations across her upper torso, "Now I know why he hasn't spoken a word to the psychologist yet." Melissa told him.

"He's going to be in shock for a while, isn't he?" The Sheriff asked her.

She gave him confirmation nod and looked over at the other three bodies that were still sealed in body bags, "This was his  _whole_  family?"

"Mother, father, older brother." Sheriff Stilinski shared with her, "Sean was the youngest. And the only one that got away." He said with a tired sigh, "The question is from what."

"From who," She corrected him and indicated at the wounds, "These wounds weren't caused by claws and fangs. These are deep cuts, a combination of sharp and blunt force trauma."

"That's what the ME said. Some kind of axe." The Sheriff took a deep breath, "I just need to make sure that we didn't have to, uh..."

"Involve Scott and Stiles?"

"Yeah." He agreed with her, "If this is everyday homicide instead of the supernatural kind, then maybe we can give them the day off from the world of murder and massacres."

"When do we get a day off?" She joked with him.

* * *

Kira was rushing down the stairs of her home when she ran into her mother in the living room, "Your father's waiting for you outside." Noshiko told her.

"I know, I know!" Kira claimed running around, but she stopped dead in her tracks when something caught her eye, "What is this?" She asked holding a poster in her hands.

"A "For Sale" sign." Her mother told her, "It lets people know your house is for sale."

Mr. Yukimura walked through the door and noticed that Kira had a gaping look on her face and that his wife giving him a 'help me out' look.

"I thought you were going to talk to her." He replied instead. Noshiko rolled her eyes at him and turned her attention back to Kira.

"Kira, we told you this was temporary."

"That was  _after_  you told me I was a kitsune," She reminded them, "And was going to have to destroy a dark spirit by stabbing and killing one of the few friends I've made in this town."

"And you didn't have to." Noshiko reminded her, "I call that a win."

"We're not going back to New York." Kira said defiantly.

"And why would we stay?"

"Because... Well..." She struggled, before looking over at her father, "Dad's a very important teacher at the high school."

"In New York, I was a _professor_ at Columbia." He counteracted.

"You'll make new friends." Her mother assured her.

"Not like these." Kira said with some defeat, "You don't know them like I do. Landon, Stiles, Allison, Scott, Micah..."

"And Isaac." Her mother finished her.

"Exactly," Kira said, "I already have a group of supernatural friends. I don't want to have to try and find a new one." With that Kira walked out the front door.

"Sounds like she has found a pack." Mr. Yukimura stated with knowing smile.

"She'll find another one." Noshiko told him as she handed him a new sign.

Just outside the door, "I don't want to find another one." Kira said to the air.

* * *

In the locker room, "Hey, Liam." Stiles said with some fake enthusiasm and Scott by her side, "You want to explain what that was out there?"

"What do you mean?" Liam asked confused as to why he was getting confronted already. In such a hostile manner at that.

"That little display." Stiles explained pointing up and down at him, "Your little circus act."

"What circus act?"

"You caught every shot."

"I was in goal." He reasoned.

"Yeah, but nothing, not a single shot, got past you."

"Yeah, I was the goalie." He said slowly as if she had lost her mind or something, "You guys played this game before?"

"You're a freshman, right?" Scott asked trying to ease the tense he could sense forming between Stiles and the new player.

"Yeah."

"But you weren't here last semester." Stiles stated.

"I transferred from Devenford Prep."

"You  _transferred_?" Scott questioned. Scott had been listening to Liam's heart rate and realized he was lying.

"Yeah."

"No, you got kicked out, didn't you?" Scott guessed.

"All right." Liam slammed his locker shut, "Look! Kicked out or transferred, what do you guys care? I came here to play lacrosse. The team could use a few good players, right?"

"No." Stiles said quickly, "No, we don't need any more good players."

"Actually, we could sort of use a couple." Scott told her and Stiles gave him a gaped look.

"Okay, how'd you get this good?" She asked him, "Have you always been this good?" She started to bombard Liam with all types of questions, "Or did it suddenly happen just once overnight." Liam's face turned into confusion, but she kept on going, "Have you ever been out in the middle of the woods during the night of a full..."

Scott slowly began to realize just how exact Stiles questions were, "Stiles." Scott said in a tone that clearly oozed 'knock it off'.

"I learned from my stepfather, all right?" Liam told her, "He made team captain when he was a sophomore. Like you." He looked over at Scott. He then turned his attention back to Stiles, "And yeah... I guess I'm just that good."

With that being said Liam walked away, "He wasn't lying that time." Scott told her in an impressed tone.

* * *

When Micah entered his math class, he noticed a series of complicated algebra equations on the board, and slowly backed his way out the room and turned the corner. He doesn't get far as both Stiles and Isaac escorted him right back to class practically pushing him forward.

"I hate math." He protested to them, "It's pointless."

"It's school." Stiles told him, "School is important and math is essential."

Stiles took her place beside Isaac who sat behind Landon while Landon and Micah both sat in front of the class.

"To what?"

"Knowing how much to tip at restaurants." Isaac offered. He was attempting to try and be nice and noticed the smug smile Landon wore on his face.

"And other less important things like medicine, economics, engineering..." Landon listed sarcastically.

"Tipping." Stiles said with a smile and Landon rolled his eyes at her.

As the class began, the teacher, Ms. Flemming, called people up the board to work out the math problems that were still on the board, "All right, volunteers to the board. Landon, Diego, Micah."

"Um... I didn't volunteer." Micah told her trying to hide the panic in his voice.

"You did now." She told him, "To the board."

Micah turned to Stiles who gave him a thumbs-up and he growled at her. This doesn't surprise Stiles at all and Isaac made a low growling sound back at him, to which Micah responded just as aggressive.

"Guys," Stiles whispered between the two of them, "We do not need another supernatural showdown in this school."

"Maybe he should go back to the woods." Isaac snapped not breaking eye contact from Micah.

"Isaac!" Stiles whispered at him, "Remember what we said."

"I said nothing." Isaac reminded her, this time looking at her, "You did all the talking." He sat back and just stared up ahead at the board.

Stiles released a tired sigh and urged Micah to the board. One way or another she was determined to find a way for the werewolf and werecoyote to at least tolerate each other.

At the board Micah was struggling with answering his math problem, "Did you go over the notes I gave you?" Landon whispered to Micah noticing the struggle he was having.

"I didn't understand them."

Landon looked behind him to make sure Ms. Flemming wasn't looking, "X equals 25." He whispered to him. Micah wrote down the answer and Landon noticed that Micah's hands weren't hands anymore, "And put away the claws." He whispered as he finished his problem.

At 11:22 AM, Stiles received a "Beacon Hills News Alert" on her phone. It read " _Triple homicide, developing…"_

* * *

Stiles immediately shared this information with Scott and Kira, "An axe murderer?" Kira asked her.

"A  _family_  murdering axe murderer." She told her.

"I already heard about it." Scott confessed to them.

"Wait. What?" She asked him, "You did? How?"

"My mom called me." Scott confessed even more, "She knew we'd see it on the news."

"Perfect. Let's go." Stiles commanded as she turned around ready to leave the campus.

"Whoa, whoa." Scott said as he grabbed her by the arm, "We've got Econ in five minutes."

"All right." Stiles said to him, clapping her hands together, "Did you  _forget_  the part about the family murdering axe murderer?"

"Did you forget that your dad's the sheriff?" Scott countered back at her, "They want us to stay out of it."

Stiles looked over at Kira for some help, but even the Kitsune seemed to be against her, "Are you guys  _kidding_  me?" She questioned them, "There's a family murdering axe murderer and we're not going to do anything about it?"

"Maybe we should just let the  _adults_  handle it." Kira offered to her.

"So two of you, you just want to stay here, school, to go to class." Stiles questioned them. Both Scott and Kira remained silent, "Never heard anything so  _irresponsible_  in my life." She voiced with mild irritation as she walked away from them.

"See you at tryouts?" Scott questioned after her. Stiles just made an irritated gesture in response.

"She's been very tense lately." Kira commented to Scott as Stiles disappeared around the corner.

"Yeah, well Derek told her to stay out the Kate thing and for once I think she's actually trying listening to him."

"Did you tell Chris and Allison?"

"I texted them." He responded meekly.

Kira gave him a blank stare and without a word pulled the Alpha along to their class.

* * *

In a dark room, the man with no mouth (The Mute) was sitting in front of a computer screen. He removed a small metal plug or stopper from a hole in the side of his neck, breath sounds come from the opening. He then stuck a tube into the hole and a dark, viscous liquid began to run down the tube and up into him. He swallowed loudly as the fluid was pumped into his throat.

On the screen a complex array of code scrolls endlessly.

* * *

At the Sheriff's Station, "I said I don't want anyone else on site." Sheriff Stilinski said getting at Deputy Parrish, "Review the photos. And don't blame me for the nightmares."

"But Sheriff, don't you feel like we're missing something?"

"Yeah. And that's why Agent McCall is bringing in an expert from Quantico who deals with exactly this kind of thing."

"You mean the US Marshal?" Parrish asked him.

"What US Marshal?"

Inside the station at the information desk, Deputy Parrish sees Braeden flashing a Marshal's badge as she collected a copy of the case file.

* * *

Scott and Stiles were now in the locker room now getting ready for another session of lacrosse. Scott could still sense the tension that Stiles had on her face, "You okay?" He asked her as she pulled on her lacrosse number 24 jersey.

"I'm fine." She told him.

"You don't seem fine."

"Would you be if some psycho came back from the dead?" Scott gave her an eyebrow raise. "Shut up you know what I mean."

"I could try again with Allison and Chris." He offered to her.

"Scott," She started before she took a heavy breath, "Just no with the texts." Stiles told him, "I'm sure they will be on their way as soon as possible."

In that moment, Coach Finstock blew his whistle and the lacrosse team players and the recruits all gathered around.

"As a reminder, it's an open tryout today." Coach Finstock announced, "All positions available. This is a rebuilding season, people. Jackson's gone, Lahey's out for the season..." He look at Stiles for a brief moment and Stiles didn't miss the look either.

**FLASHBACK**

"Wait," Coach says in his office, "What? When did this happen?"

"Remember when Stiles kept disappearing?" Isaac asks easily.

"She wasn't the only one that kept disappearing." Coach reminds him. "Wait is that why the two of you were-"

"Yes, Coach." Stiles inputs, "Isaac and I were-"

"Stop right there," Coach points at her, "I don't want to hear it. I'm just trying to understand as to why we are having this conversation."

"Because she and I agreed that it wouldn't be healthy for our relationship." Isaac tells him, "Besides if anything, I would be too worried about Stiles getting hurt than actually focusing on the game."

"You realize this makes absolute zero sense. The two of you are on the same team for crying out loud."

"That's what I told him," Stiles chimes in.

"But we are on different positions." Isaac counters.

"I can always put the two of you on the same position."

"If anything that'll just make it worse." Stiles tells him, "Isaac is very protective. He won't protect goal." Isaac puts his arm around Stiles shoulder as they both exchange loving smiles much to Coach's dismay.

"Besides I've played long enough." Isaac reasons with him, "I figure I'd try and take this semester off at least." Coach glares at Isaac intensely, "You'll have freshmen coming in this season," Isaac reminds him, "Won't be too bad."

Coach glares at the pair, not sure wither they are giving him a lie or trying to kill him slowly and painfully, "Fine, but just so we're clear Lahey, if necessary I will yank your ass from the stands."

"Understood." Isaac agrees.

Once they left Coach's office, "That went well." Isaac comments, still having his arm across Stiles’ shoulder, as he and Stiles continue to walk out the building.

"Agreed." Stiles says, "I just can't believe he bought it."

**END FLASHBACK**

Coach Finstock continued on his rant, "Greenberg, the one guy I actually wanted gone... Was held back.  _Again_. Get your asses on the field."

As the team headed out, Scott walked up to Coach with some hesitation, "Hey, Coach... I just wanted to ask if... I was still... If I'm... You know..." He didn't actually want to say the word.

"You're on the team, McCall." Coach assured him.

"But... But am I... Everything that I was on the team before?" Scott asked unsure.

"All positions are open." He told him. Nearby Liam was close listening to the entire exchange.

* * *

The players were now running across the field as Coach stood on the sidelines with a stopwatch. Of course Coach was making all kinds of remarks as they players ran past him, "Terrible." He commented as one group passed him, "Horrifying." He stated as another one passed, "Pathetic." When two players ran by, "Unbelievably pathetic." He ranted as three more rushed passed. He looked up at his clipboard, "Is that everyone?" He questioned just as Stiles came in last place clearly out of breath, "Yep, that's everyone."

Stiles was struggling to breathe as Scott came to her aid, "I got you." Scott told her as he helped support her.

"Who came in first?" She asked and Scott tilted his head over at Liam, who the only person doing push-ups in the middle of a pile of tired lacrosse players, "He isn't human." She commented to Scott, "What is he? Like a Were-Cheetah?" She joked as Scott looked at Liam with impression, "Does it even exist? Is that a thing?"

"I think he's just good." Scott claimed reciting what Liam had said earlier, "Are you okay?"

"Totally golden here."

"You look like shit."

"Wow thanks," She told him in between breaths and started shaking her head, "I'm gonna puke," Stiles confessed toward him, "Take me somewhere." Scott laughed as he pulled Stiles off to the side of the field.

Micah, Kira, and Isaac were in the stands watching the lacrosse tryouts. Kira and Isaac were watching the practice intensely, while Micah was working on homework, but he was distracted by a smell in the air, "What's wrong with you?" Micah asked as he noticed that Isaac was incredibly focused.

"Nothing." Isaac told him.

"You reek of anxiety." He pointed out to Isaac as he sniffed the air, "And it's distracting. What's going on?"

"He's just worried about Stiles." Kira told Micah. She had a lacrosse stick in her hand and was playing around with it.

"But she's fine," Micah noted, "I mean, it's that what Deaton said once Derek gets back she'll be okay?"

"Something is going on with Derek," Isaac told them, "He just wants to make sure it's not effecting her as well."

"And he doesn't want her to know nor get involved."

"Look at you already learning how the two of them work." Isaac told him.

Scott and Stiles were now on the sideline as they watched the other players take shots at the goalie. They both had been sucking while Liam was still taking over the entire practice, "You know, maybe he's only good in goal." She suggested to Scott, "You know, just totally useless on the rest of the field."

When it was Liam's turn to take a strike at the goalie the ball went right through the net, "Yes!" Coach shouted with some enthusiasm.

"Or maybe he's just perfect at everything." Stiles said with high irritation, "I hate this kid!"

"You don't have to hate him." Scott reminded her, "The team needs new players."

"What about a new team captain?" Stiles shot at him. Scott looked slightly offended, but he knew Stiles was right.

When it was his turn, Scott managed to shoot the ball pass the goal. As in right pass the goal that the goalie didn't even bother trying to block.

"Nice, McCall." Garrett, the same freshman from before, mocked at Scott.

"Hey, Garrett." Stiles called out getting his attention, "Shut up!" She said in a singsongy voice with a fake smile.

Back on the benches Kira and Isaac continued to look on as Micah went back to working on his homework, "Isn't the captain supposed to be one of the  _best_  players on the team?" She asked Isaac, "Or good?"

Back out on the field, "Dude, what is going on with you?" Stiles questioned Scott as they regrouped back together.

"I don't know." Scott told her, "I'm having a  _really_  off day."

"Off day? You were  _dying_  out there!" She informed him, "I feel  _actual_  physical pain watching you." She remarked holding a hand over her heart.

"I didn't see you make any shots." Scott countered back at her.

"Yes, that is because I'm terrible and Coach still has it in his mind that I'm good just because I won us the championship game." She reminded him, "Scott…You... You are the Alpha."

"Not on the field." Scott told her, "I'm a  _human_  on the field."

"Well, human you is kind of sucking at the moment." She snipped at him, which shocked Scott, "Sorry," She said quietly, "So do you think there is any way you can use just like a little  _tiny_  bit of wolf power? And maybe I could use a tiny bit of-"

"No," Scott told her quickly, knowing exactly what she was going to say, "It's cheating."

"I know it is! It's just I hate seeing this little freshman come in and steal all your glory after you worked your tushie off." She said to him, "I  _hate_  it."

"He's not going to steal all the glory." Scott assured her.

"McCall and Stilinski, grab the long sticks." Coach ordered them, "You're covering goal for two-on-ones." Meaning they have to stop players from advancing toward the goal. Coach then yelled at the other players, "Let's go! Line it up!"

As Stiles and Scott stood as defenders of the goal, "We still don't know if he's a werewolf, too." Stiles told him, "And if he is, he'd just be cheating. And we'd just be cheating the cheater."

"But he's not. I'd know." Scott said remembering how he had to tackle down every player during the kanima incident, "I'd be able to catch a scent or something."

"Maybe you need to get  _closer_." Stiles implied remembering the same thing.

"I think I'm about to get my chance." Scott told her as they looked onto the players as they lined up.

"Is it me or have we been getting déjà vu over the past couple of days?" Stiles asked with a smirk.

"I think it's just you." Scott told her.

When Coach finally blew his whistle for the first player to run past Scott and Stiles, the best friends easily get into a rhythm, successfully blocking the player from nearing the goal. Scott and Stiles fist bump each other on their success and continued to do well as they managed to prevent anyone from passing them. Even Coach was proud of them, "That's what I like to see McCall and Stilinski!" Coach shouted at them, "Those two are like my children to me." Coach said to a random a student.

In the stands, Kira and Isaac were both getting into the practice. Isaac was less tense and was now enjoying seeing Scott and Stiles take on all the players and knocking them to the ground, "Yes!" They both shouted together causing Micah to look up from his work just as Liam was about to take his turn.

When it's Liam's turn, he managed to get past both of them. He had managed to fake out Stiles, who unfortunately fell to the ground and was able to twist out of Scott's way and scored in the goal, "That's how you do it!" Coach said with impression, "That's how it's done!"

Of course a certain member of the crowd wasn't exactly happy about what went down, "That was luck!" Micah shouted standing up from the stands. His outburst caught Scott, Stiles, Kira, and Isaac off guard.

"Oh no, Micah." Stiles murmured, "Don't get involved. Isaac stop him."

"Do-over!" Micah continued ranting despite the fact that Isaac was trying to force the werecoyote to sit back down.

"There's no do-overs." Coach said in an unimpressed tone, "This is a practice."

"Ten bucks on Scott and Stiles." Micah claimed with confidence and a smile, even though Isaac finally made him sit.

"I'll take that action." Coach said eagerly, "Hey! Get back in there, Liam."

On his second run, Liam managed to pass Stiles with ease once again, but when he came upon Scott he tried to jump over Scott. However, Scott was ready as he went under Liam and flipped him over. Just like he did to Jackson months ago. And just like Jackson Liam landed on the ground hard.

"Don't move! Don't touch him!" Coach ordered the surrounding members.

"I'm okay, Coach. I'm all right." Liam assured him, but as he tried to stand up, his leg had other plans, "Ahhh! I think it's my leg." He said in obvious pain. Scott and Stiles looked worriedly at each other.

"I think we better get him to the nurse." Stiles told Coach and he quickly agreed. While Scott and Stiles took Liam to the nurse Coach was highly frustrated.

"You guy's take a lap. Run around... Start running around the field! Stupid!" In the midst of his rage Coach picked up a ball and threw it toward the stands. It flew straight at Micah's head, but Kira, on instinct, leaned the stick over and caught it just before it made impact. Isaac and Micah were both shocked along with Coach,

"Oh! Wow! Nice catch. Throw it back." He told her. Kira threw back the ball awkwardly, hitting the Coach right in the breadbasket and knocking the wind out of him.

"Oh, my God." Kira whispered as she witnessed at what she has done.

"Someone ask her if she's ever played lacrosse." Coach groaned trying to recover from the ground, "Lahey you're still on my list, though."

* * *

Deputy Parrish was sitting outside the crime scene at Sean's house going through the case file. It showed the four victims with blood and slash marks all over their bodies. He glanced up at the front door and noticed a figure walking past inside.

He quickly exited the car and entered the house with his gun drawn, "Beacon County Sheriff's Department!" He announced into the house, "This is a crime scene. Show yourself."

From a corner around the stairs, Landon stepped out into the parlor. Deputy Parrish immediately looked at the teen with confusion and Landon just gave him a blank stare.

* * *

At the loft Derek was flipping through the case file Braeden had obtained while Stiles filled him in on what happened at practice.

 _So Scott cheated_  Derek concluded once he heard everything.

_Off chance he may have slightly bent the rules. I mean it's not like he did it on purpose._

_Pretty sure that falls under the same category as cheating. Which is something both you and Scott did._

_I didn't do anything. In fact I fell on my face._

_Guilty by association_

_Shut up I already feel bad enough about it. I don't need you rubbing it in my face._

_Says the one who likes to gloat constantly_

_You're a turd_

_You're just mad 'cause I'm right_

_Still a turd_

_Now you're being childish_

_Oh bite me_

_And now you're deflecting_

_I'm not speaking to you_

_It's okay. I'll see you later tonight anyway._

Derek smiled to himself as Stiles gave him sarcastic comeback, as he finished reading the file. He noticed that there was something missing about the report, "There's nothing in here about Kate." He told Braeden as he closed the file, "This killer used an axe."

"Actually, he used a military tomahawk." Braeden corrected him.

"That's not in this report." He said, slapping the file down on the table.

"I know." Braeden said plainly.

"Are you going to tell me what else you know?" Derek asked staring at her with an unamused look.

"Not yet." She told him, knowing it would irritate him, "'Cause I don't really know much."

"But you know something." He countered knowingly.

"Maybe." Braeden implied with a shoulder shrug, "The problem is the people I need to talk to right now, don't talk to people like you."

"You want me to wait for you?" Derek questioned not hiding the lack of trust in his tone.

"I want you to trust me." She corrected him looking at him dead in the eyes.

"And why would I trust you?" He countered back, "I don't know anything about you."

"Yeah, well, I know you." She told him pointedly, "And I know what you really want. You want what Kate  _stole_  from you." She spoke in a foreign language as Derek continued to give her a dead stare, "It means the true nature of someone is reflected in their eyes. In your case, the  _color_  of your eyes."

If anything Derek just stared at her even more, "You get a week."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "It's almost been a year since we've met." Derek whispered into her ear, "Almost a year-" Just like that the air around seemed to have tightened.
> 
> "Hey," Stiles whispered taking a hold of his face, "We've talked about this before."
> 
> "We have yet to actually go on a real date." Derek pointed out to her.
> 
> "I'm slightly offended that you don't consider that picnic at the train depot a real date."
> 
> "Because every girl deserves to make sandwiches for a first date," Derek replied sarcastically, "While worrying about her friend who was attacked by her mate's psycho uncle. "
> 
> "There was that date in New York."
> 
> "You were being possessed and nearly got ran over. Twice."
> 
> "I've told you before if you don't want to do anything around our anniversary it's fine." She gave him a caring look, "The first year is always the toughest, but it'll get easier." She told him softly, "I promise. If not you can totally kill Peter again."
> 
> Derek huffed a silent laugh.


	6. Muted pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOTICE: moving updates to Sundays with both parts added b/c school and work are killing me during the week.

Landon and Parrish were still in the foyer of the murder home, "I would try to explain it, but... I've never gotten a satisfactory explanation myself." Landon told him when Parrish questioned what he was doing there at the crime scene.

"Just an  _unusual_  habit of showing up at places where people have been brutally murdered?" Deputy Parrish questioned him.

Landon could hear the implication in his voice, "Are you saying I have a reputation?"

"An unusual one." He confirmed to him, "Maybe you're psychic."

"Don't tell me you believe all that?" He demurred at him.

"I'd like to say I don't believe in anything." Deputy Parrish confessed, "But I keep an open mind. But if you're looking for dead bodies, I think you're a little late." He joked slightly at Landon, but Landon wasn't listening anymore.

In the middle of Parrish's statement, Landon's powers had kick in. He began to hear the whispers and stared at the wall that now had shapes of screaming people in the wood grain of the wainscoting. It reminded Landon just like the night at the hotel during the Darach sacrifices.

Parrish watched silently as Landon randomly pushed on one of the wood panel and it opened. A cold condensation drifted out from behind the wall. Parrish drew his gun as Landon opened the panel further revealing a thick metal door attached to the wood.

They both entered and found themselves between the inner and outer walls of the house in a narrow corridor. At the end of the passage, there was an opening curtained by plastic. They passed through into a very large room.

Parrish flipped on the light and discovered they're in a large freezer with dozens of plastic covered objects hanging from the ceiling, "I think it's a game locker." Deputy Parrish observed as they walked through, "Like venison. Hunting's legal in some parts of the state, but..."

He unzipped one of the plastic bags, "What is that?" Landon questioned.

"It's not venison." Parrish answered. Inside the bag had been a human corpse.

* * *

At hospital, an uneaten plate of peas, carrots, and potatoes sat untouched on a tray in Sean's room. Melissa was checking his pulse, "Are you sure you don't want to eat something?" Melissa with concern in her voice.

"Yes."

"Okay. Let me know if you need anything." She placed an arm on his shoulder, but now Sean was unresponsive, "There's a Deputy standing right outside."

As she emerged from the room, she headed back toward the nurse's station, she stopped only to find Scott, Stiles, and Liam at the Emergency Room counter, "Uh... Hi, Mom." Scott said weakly.

They managed to get Liam a wheelchair and Melissa wheeled him away. "Don't worry, Liam. We'll take good care of you." She assured him.

Both Scott and Stiles watched as Melissa took him way, "I got to get going." Stiles said breaking into Scott's thoughts, "I promised Micah I'd help him study and Derek is supposed to be coming over later."

"Sure." Scott said offhandedly, "I want to check on him anyway."

"Hey, I don't need to say that wasn't your fault, right?" Stiles questioned as she placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't know." Scott stated with the guilt clearly in his voice.

"Scott, you didn't do it on purpose. If you had  _more_  wolf power that kid wouldn't be limping," She told him, "He'd be crawling, back to the other half of his body."

"If I hadn't been so worried about being captain he wouldn't be hurt either."

Stiles looked at him with concern, "It's okay to want something for yourself once in a while." Stiles reminded him as she placed another reassuring hand on his shoulder, "Team captain, Alpha werewolf. You're still only human."

* * *

Mrs. Yukimura had put out a buffet in the living room. Everything had been nice and organized, she had made sure of it. The only problem was that the room was empty, "Ken," Noshiko called out to her husband, "Would you please call the real estate agent and ask him why not a single person has come to this open house?"

"I think I know why." He told her as he carried the pieces of what was left of the "For Sale" sign. Noshiko knew there was only one person responsible for it.

Kira was in her room practicing with a lacrosse stick, spinning it like her sword when she heard her mother shout, "Kira!"

She smiled and spun around bringing the stick down effortlessly.

* * *

In Stiles' room, Micah and Stiles were studying math. It was quiet until Micah slammed his book shut with irritation and headed for the window. Stiles made a wave of her hand causing the window to lock, "We're not finished yet." She told him.

"Yes, we are." Micah countered easily, "And you're not supposed to be doing that."

"Rat me out later." Stile told him in a bored tone, "I promised I'd help you study." She reminded him. Micah made a dreaded sigh and made his way back over to the bed, "What's with all the highlighters?" She asked him.

Throughout the study session, Micah had been doing some highlighting, "Green is for the things I understand." Micah explained, "Yellow, is for "I'm working on it," and... Red means I have no clue." Stiles indicated that all the pages so far had been covered in red, "I am mostly using red."

Stiles realized that was the same system she used with colored string in her detective work when they first were trying to find a way to save Micah. She smiled at the thought, "What are you smiling about?" Micah asked her, but Stiles doesn't get to answer when someone came tapping on her window. Micah gave her a questioning look as Stiles went to the window and saw Derek right outside it.

"Really? I gave you that key for a reason." She reminded him as she opened the window, "Was using the front door that one time that much of an ordeal." She continued ranting while he climbed through.

"Old habits die hard." Derek commented with a small smile, "You must be Micah." He said to the werecoyote still on the bed, "Sorry we weren't properly introduced earlier."

"Derek, I presume." Micah said with a smirk on his face.

"I see you've been rubbing off on him." Derek said to Stiles.

"I do what I can." Stiles said with a smirk.

"What are you guys studying?" Derek asked as he made his way over to the bed. Micah handed him a sheet of paper with notes on it.

"Math."

"Yikes." Derek commented.

"My thoughts exactly," Micah agreed with him, "Why is math impossible for me and easy for you guys?" He asked Stiles.

"Because we use Landon's notes." Stiles informed him.

"Then somebody needs to give me notes on Landon's notes," Micah told Stiles as he handed her a notebook, "Because I don't understand any of this."

"Okay." Stiles flipped through the pages and what she saw confused her a bit, "Um…Landon wrote these?" Stiles asked Micah pointing that the number filled page.

"Yeah." He said confidently, but he noticed the expressions on Stiles' face, "What are they?"

"They're not math." Stiles told him as she continued skimming through more of the pages.

* * *

The new doctor, Dr. Geyer, who was with Melissa early the same morning was checking Liam's ankle, "Okay, just..." He started off, but Liam broke him off.

"It's broken, isn't it?" Liam asked in his hospital bed.

"It's definitely going to need an X-ray." Dr. Geyer told him.

"It's broken." Liam repeated once more in a whisper, "And it's my fault." He looked down at his ankle with heavy disappointment and the doctor could tell that something else was bothering him.

"You want to tell me what happened?" He asked him gently.

"I went up against two juniors." Liam confessed to him, "One of them is captain of the team. And the other already kind of hates me."

"Remember what we always say?" Dr. Geyer questioned him, "Play  _smart_ , not hard."

"Are you mad at me?"

"No, of course not." Dr. Geyer assured him, "Your mom might be mad at me for getting you into lacrosse, but maybe we should both wait for the X-ray before we panic." He advised him, "And trust me... I have more reason to panic than you."

They both laughed at the statement, "It's not over yet. Wait for that X-ray." Liam's stepfather told him.

Scott had been listening on the outside of Liam's door when he received a phone call, "Hey, Landon."

"Where are you?" Landon asked frantically, "I couldn't call... I couldn't get away from the deputy."

"Okay, slow down..." Scott said as he moved away from the door.

"You need to get to the hospital. You need to get there right now." Landon said to Scott, "The son, the only one who survived... He's there."

"So am I." Scott informed him, "I'm at the hospital too."

"Then find him." Landon said in a shaky breath, "Find Sean Walcott."

* * *

Melissa was making her way into Sean's room, "Sean, are you awake? The Sheriff's on his way, I'm going to need you to wake up."

Melissa did find Sean awake. Only he was covered in blood and on the floor, "I couldn't help it." Sean whispered to her, "I'm so hungry." He cried aloud. Sean had been on the floor eating the intestines of the deputy that had been guarding his room, "I'm just so hungry!"

He looked up at Melissa and revealed shining white eyes and double rows of sharp teeth.

Meanwhile, Scott was on the run to get to Sean's room, but before he could reach the elevators the doors closed on him. Instead of waiting Scott bolted down the hall.

Back in Sean's room, Sean stood up from the floor, "I think I'm ready to talk now." He growled at her.

"No!" Melissa cried out just as she backed away from the room and into the hall. Sean attacked Melissa as she tried to run for safety. However, Sean had managed to grab a hold of her as he dragged her back toward the room, "Leave me alone!" She screamed.

Just when she thought she was done for Melissa heard Scott's growl from the other end of the hall.

Scott managed to run and tackle Sean, knocking him to the ground. They wrestle a bit before Sean got his leg up and kicked Scott off, showing super strength, as Scott flew back and crashed into the wall.

Scott quickly rushed over to his mother, "I'm okay." Melissa told him still shaken up, "I'm all right."

"Are you sure?" Scott asked with some concern.

"Go get that son of a bitch." Melissa told her son in a strong voice.

In response to the command, Scott morphed into his wolf form with a growl and took off.

* * *

Meanwhile Liam had heard Melissa's screams and was now limping out of his room to the deserted hallway.

"I thought I heard someone..." Liam said clearly confused as to why there wasn't anyone around. Liam was about ready to head back to his room when he was confronted by Sean, who still covered in blood and attacked him ruthlessly.

* * *

Scott noticed blood in the stairwell and could hear shouting come from the rooftop. He raced up to the roof to witness Sean holding Liam in a choke hold near the edge of the building.

"Get back!" Sean ordered him.

"Don't." Scott begged him, "You don't need to do this. Whatever it is. Whatever you are, we can help you."

"No, you can't." Sean told him still in distress.

"Let me help you."

"Wendigos don't need help." Sean snapped at him in a rage, "We need food!"

During Scott and Sean's conversation Liam was still trying to fight off the Wendigo. He managed to twist out of the choke hold and faced Sean. Seeing that Sean was going to continue to target Liam, Scott leapt several feet in the air and landed near the edge of the roof.

He was too late as Sean threw Liam over the edge and turned to face Scott. Scott knew that Liam was struggling with holding, "Oh God!" Liam cried.

The werewolf shoved Sean aside and moved to save the boy from going over the side of the building. Sean managed to recover and attacked Scott pinning his arms back while Liam struggles to hold onto the ledge.

Liam had begun to slip, without a free hand to help, Scott does the first thing that comes into his mind. He bit down on Liam's arm to keep him from falling.

At that moment, The Mute’s hatchet Sean in the back killing him.

Not wasting another second, Scott helped Liam scramble up to safety. Liam was now clutching his bleeding arm. Scott looked down at his very visible bite mark.

He didn't look long because he noticed that The Mute was now leaving, but not before he turned his attention back to Scott and gave him the "quiet finger" where his mouth should be.

* * *

"You and Micah seem to be very close." Derek noted to Stiles once Micah had gone home and Stiles had informed Landon of the weird notes.

"I see you have been talking to Isaac." Stiles said without looking at him.

"Maybe."

"He's just uneasy around Micah." Stiles shared with him.

"Apparently he doesn't like him."

"That's an understatement." Stiles scoffed, "They got into a minor growling match in class because Micah growled at me."

"Maybe some folklore are actually true...but he's also doing what I asked him to long ago."

"Which was what?" Stiles asked, "Be my bodyguard or something when you're not around?" Stiles meant it to come across as a joke, but Derek didn't respond, "You can't be serious." Stiles commented when she noticed the silence, "Derek!" She claimed with a foot stomp.

"Call me overprotective." Derek said when Stiles glared at him.

"I can take care of myself."

"I'm sure you can." Derek said as Stiles moved around, "But with Kate out there can't be too careful."

"You know I could-"

"No."

"You didn't know what I was going to say."

"I know well enough."

Derek could feel the annoyance coming through the link and wordlessly grabbed Stiles by the waist and pulled her in a kiss.

Between the two the bond seemed to tug tightly as if it were trying to stay whole. It was a familiar feeling and their kiss didn't break as they both breathed together completely in sync.

Stiles' breath soon hitched as Derek's kisses left her mouth and were now being trailed from her cheek down to her neck. Derek breathed over a specific spot. The same spot that had been placed there months and months ago. His mating mark. Derek gently bit down causing a small gasp from Stiles, along with a body twitch.

"It's almost been a year since we've met." Derek whispered into her ear, "Almost a year-" Just like that the air seemed to have tightened.

"Hey," Stiles whispered taking a hold of his face, "We've talked about this before."

"We have yet to actually go on a  _real_  date." Derek pointed out to her.

"I'm _slightly_ offended that you don't consider that picnic at the train depot a real date."

"Because every girl deserves to make sandwiches for a first date," Derek replied sarcastically, "While worrying about her friend who was attacked by her mate's psycho uncle."

"There was that date in New York."

"You were being possessed and nearly got ran over. Twice."

"I've told you before if you don't want to do anything around our anniversary it's fine." She gave him a caring look, "The first year is always the toughest, but it'll get easier." She told him softly, "I promise. If not you can totally kill Peter again."

Derek huffed a silent laugh as he looked down at Stiles' left hand that held the promise he made, "I love you."

"I know." Stiles replied with a smirk as she leaned in for another kiss, but before their lips could actually meet, both Stiles and Derek's phone started to ring. Stiles made a groan noise and headbutted him gently, "I knew it. Something just told me we were going to get interrupted."

"You must be psychic." Derek told her with a smirk as they both reached for their respected phones.

"Cute." She deadpanned at him as she looked at the screen, "It's Scott."

"It's your Dad."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> In the basement, Micah was struggling with his shift. He yanked against the restraints as both Isaac and Kira stayed on guard.
> 
> "Just go." Micah told them as he lets out a snarl.
> 
> "It's okay." Kira told him. "We're not going anywhere."
> 
> "How do you do it, Isaac?" Micah asked he lets out a pained breath, "How do you stay in control? How do you not feel like this?"
> 
> Isaac looked as the werecoyote struggled through his chains. The chains that were locked around his wrists just as Isaac's were during the Kanima Incident. Back when he Erica and Boyd were struggling with the moon.
> 
> "Find an anchor." Isaac told him as he repeated the same words he was taught so long ago, "Something meaningful to you." Isaac said as he kneel beside Micah, "Bind yourself to it. Keep the human side in control."
> 
> "What is it for you?" Micah managed to ask just before he lets out a pained roar.
> 
> "My Dad." Isaac told him, Micah looked at him confused, "Our anchors don't always have to be present in our lives." Isaac explained to him, "Sometimes even good memories are enough to keep our human side in control."
> 
> XXXX
> 
> Define normal." Scott told her. They both shared a laugh, "How are you feeling?"
> 
> "The nightmares you mean? Still happen, but have finally stopped being intense on a certain level," Stiles shared with him, "Even though I kind of sent Derek flying across the room by accident, the other night. Not sure what that was about. How about you?" She gestured toward the moon, "With the moon?"
> 
> "It still takes a lot of concentration." Scott admitted to her.
> 
> "So if something were to distract you…"
> 
> "Oh Stiles please don't." He begged when he noticed that mischievous look she was giving him.
> 
> "Okay fine." She told him with her hands up in surrender, "I won't do anything." However, Scott could hear the minor blip in her heart just before she sent him into the lake with a simple hand gesture.
> 
> Scott came up to the surface with his eyes glowing red, "Dude." He said in a fake outraged tone, "What the hell?"
> 
> Stiles ignored her friend's comment about needing a new best friend as she continued to laugh at him, but there was a sound that filled her ears, "Did you just growl at me?" She asked him.
> 
> "That wasn't me." Scott told her. They both turned to see Liam conscious and angry struggling out his chains.


	7. The Benefactor pt.1

A helicopter, spotlight shining, circled above Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. On the roof, Sheriff Stilinski along with Deputy Parrish and several other officers were cataloging the crime scene. Sean's corpse laid where it had fallen earlier. The Sheriff looked around and directed his attention toward Deputy Parrish, "Hey, let's get everyone off the roof." He ordered him and Deputy Parrish signaled every officer to clear the rooftop, "And see if you can stall the ME for five minutes. I've got an expert of my own coming to take a look."

"You have an expert on  _teenage_  cannibals?" Deputy Parrish questioned him with a hint of disbelief.

"Five minutes, Parrish." The Sheriff told him and of course the young deputy left without question.

From out of nowhere, Derek had appeared, "Hey." The Sheriff greeted him, "I know you and Stiles were planning on catching up tonight, but I honestly didn't know who else to call."

"No, its fine," Derek informed him, "She got a call from Scott and I guess it's safe to say it was about this." He looked over the crime scene himself. There was a splatter of blood that led to Sean's body and a gaping wound on the young man's back.

"So much for keeping them out of this," Sheriff Stilinski told him, "But that's another problem to deal with later, Scott said he called himself a wendigo."

"Cannibalistic shape-shifters." Derek shared with him as he looked over the body, "But I haven't heard of them in Beacon Hills for a long time. Must have been well-hidden." But then Derek caught another scent in the air, "How many people did Scott say were up here?"

"Just Sean and the axe-murderer who apparently has no mouth." Sheriff Stilinski supplied tiredly, "You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"There was someone else." Derek said as he took another whiff, "Someone young. And male."

"You can smell his fear?"

"And his blood."

* * *

Stiles was now at the McCall residence with a panicked Scott right in front of her, "Like I said, I told my dad everything I could." Stiles told him while she watched him pace back and forth.

"What about Derek?"

"Nothing, because you practically told me nothing."

"You didn't tell you your dad or him about Liam?"

"Again, you barely told  _me_  about Liam." She repeated, "What did you do with him anyway?"

"He's upstairs." Isaac said coming into the McCall living room.

Not the answer Stiles was looking for, "Doing what?" Stiles questioned Isaac with some suspicion.

"Laying down."

* * *

Okay, so Isaac wasn't exactly lying when he said Liam was laying down. What he had failed to mention was that he had duct taped Liam's mouth and his entire body and stuck him in the tub.

Which was exactly the scene, Scott and Stiles were looking at as Liam grunted and whimpered from the tub, "So you bit him." Stiles said aloud trying to wrap her head around the situation.

"Yeah."

"And you kidnapped him." She pointed out to him.

"Yeah."

"And brought him  _here_." She said slowly, "And Isaac pretty much bound and gagged him."

"We panicked." Isaac reasoned.

"Yeah that's pretty obvious," She said mockingly at the two werewolves, "This isn't going to end with us burying the pieces of his body out in the desert, is it?"

Upon hearing Stiles statement, Liam started to freak out, but couldn't move at all. Stiles pulled back the shower curtain, covering Liam back up and went into Scott's room where they both sat on his bed in sync.

"As a reminder, this is why I  _always_  come up with the plans." She told the two werewolves, "Your plans suck." She specifically aimed at Scott.

"I know. Which is why I called you." Scott agreed easily, "So, what do we do?"

* * *

Isaac and Scott moved Liam's body from the tub to Scott's computer chair. Of course, Liam was panicking as to why three people had him now bound to the chair, "Liam, we're going to take the tape off your mouth." Stiles told him in a calm voice, "If you scream, it goes right back on." She said carefully, "If you talk quietly, it stays off. Got it?" Liam gave her a quick head nod, "Okay."

Without waiting another second, Isaac ripped off the duct tape and Liam screamed painfully, "Sorry." Isaac told him.

"Okay, Liam, now you've seen a lot of confusing things tonight." Stiles informed him, "And more confusing things are going to happen because of the confusing things that happened tonight. Do you understand?"

"Not really."

"Good." Stiles told him with approval in her voice, "That's good."

"I don't understand either." Scott shared with Stiles.

"Maybe you should tell him." Isaac told Scott, "You've gone through this before."

"You can't be serious." Scott said knowing exactly what Isaac was talking about.

"He's right Scotty." Stiles admitted agreeing with Isaac, "You should tell him."

"Tell me what?" Liam questioned since they were all too focused on who should be telling him something.

"Liam... What happened to you, what I did to you," Scott struggled as he kneeled to Liam's level, "Which I had to do in order to save you, it's going to change you."

"Unless it kills you." Isaac shared, but he noticed how Stiles gave him a look, "Shouldn't have said that." He realized.

"What?" Liam asked in a small voice. In that moment, Liam released a small sniffling sound.

"Uh... Uh-oh." Stiles said, "Oh-oh. Is he... Is he crying?"

"Liam, it's okay." Scott assured him, "You're going to be all right."

"You're not going to die." Stiles agreed with him.

"Probably not." Isaac offered.

"Stop it."

"Okay, possibly not." Isaac corrected himself.

"Still not helping."

"Would you just help me untie him?" Scott asked Stiles, they both get to work to untying Liam, but once they were completely done Liam made no muscle movements, "Liam? Are you okay?"

"We're sorry about that." Stiles told him as the boy remained quiet, "We're really sorry."

After a moment, Liam jumped up, grabbed the bottom of the chair and smashed it against Scott who completely collapsed, "Liam, what the hell is your..." Stiles claimed in shock. Liam doesn't respond as he shoved Stiles right into Isaac causing them to be thrown against the wall.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked, recovering since somehow Isaac had managed to prevent her from actually making impact against the wall.

"I'm fine," Isaac grunted, "Just get him."

Liam had managed to run out Scott's door and realized that his ankle (injured during the afternoon's lacrosse tryouts) was now healed. He made it to the end of the hall, when he turned to see Stiles hobbling out of Scott's room.

"Get him!" Stiles ordered when she set her sights on him. Just behind her Scott made his way out the room and the two friends both zoom in on him.

The only warning Liam got was to the two friends yelling and charging at him. And that was how Liam found himself getting body slammed into a wall by the best friends as they managed to grab a hold of him while they all let out screams as they rolled to the bottom of the stairs with painful groaning and a lot of yelling.

But despite the pain Scott and Stiles began to wrestle in the pile trying to hold Liam in place, "Leg! I got him! I got him!" Stiles shouted victoriously, "I got him, I got him!"

"Uh, guys?" Isaac's voice came from upstairs, "You have each other."

Stiles and Scott stopped struggling and noticed that Isaac was right. Somehow, in the middle of their struggle Liam had escaped while Stiles had a grip on Scott's leg while her foot was in his face. They both turned their attention to the opened front door.

"Your plan sucked, too." Scott shot at Stiles.

* * *

The alarm light was flashing at Derek's Loft, but the alarm was not sounding when Peter shut it off, "Derek, you here?" Peter called out into the darkness. He had looked over the case file as well, "Derek!"

Out of nowhere, the air suddenly was filled with a whooshing sound as Peter suddenly had a tomahawk in his chest and he dropped the case file, "Derek..." Peter tried calling out in shallow breaths.

The Mute then stepped out of the darkness, "Don't worry, Peter." The distorted voice told him, "Derek's next."

* * *

The next morning, Stiles was attaching chains and restraints to Micah in her bedroom, "I hate full moons." Micah told her as she tested them out around him wrists.

"It's going to get easier." Stiles assured him, "I promise."

"It better." Micah regarded holding up a restraint that looked ready to snap at any given moment, "Because this isn't going to hold much longer."

"Well, then let's try and make tonight the last time we have to use these." Stiles advised as she continued on tightening, "Besides, we might need them for Liam."

"You guys sure he's going to turn into a werewolf?"

"We're not even sure if he's going to live." Stiles answered instead, "Is that too tight?"

"No."

While Stiles worked to undo the restraints, Derek walked into the bedroom without a shirt on, "So, are you going to tell me why Scott called you last night?" Derek questioned her when he watched her not facing him.

"I know what you're trying to do," Stiles claimed not making eye contact, but remained focused on the restraints, "It's not going to work so you might as well put a shirt on."

For some reason that was the exact moment, "Hey." The Sheriff started to say until he noticed that Micah was in restraints on Stiles' bed and Derek was without a shirt, "Ummm."

This prompted Stiles to turn and see her father's confused expression at what was happening in the bedroom, "This is not what you think at all." She told him even though she was pretty sure she knew what her father was thinking.

"I don't even want to know." The Sheriff in a tired tone before walking away from the scene.

"There is nothing to know," She shouted out to him, "'Cause I just..." She stopped even she realized that he wasn't coming back.

"I don't get it." Micah stated clearly confused as to what had just happened.

"Don't worry about it."

"Are you listening to me?" Derek questioned her. Stiles gave him a serious look before turning her attention back to the restraints she had been working on.

"Put on a shirt and maybe I will."

"Seemed to work last time when you wanted something."

"Actually, I didn't want to do that. You had blood on shirt and you were scaring Danny with it." Stiles reminded him, "Not to mention you were an enemy of the state and was lucky that Danny didn't even recognize you. Also I needed to do it since Danny refused to track down that IP address in the first place. So really a thank you would be in order because had it not been for him, you'd probably still be on the run and probably hiding here."

Derek made a low growling sound, "Maybe I should go." Micah voiced shifting uncomfortably sensing the rising tension that was developing between the couple.

"And go to school looking like that?" Stiles questioned him, "No, you're staying here."

"Stiles, don't ignore me." Derek told her in a tight tone.

"I'm not ignoring you." Stiles countered looking at Micah and not even looking over at Derek, "I'm simply trying to undone these chains before Micah and I go to school."

"You're still struggling with a full moon?" Derek asked Micah as he walked over to the bed, but he doesn't give Micah a chance to answer as he turned his attention back to Stiles, "Wait why are you-"

"Derek it wouldn't be the first time I had to deal with a supernatural creature struggling with a shift." Stiles told him cutting him off in a bored tone. Stiles could feel the glare Derek was giving her from behind her back and also feel the annoyance he was radiating.

"And there," Stiles chirped proudly once the rest of the restraints came undone, "All free." Micah could still sense Derek's irritation and quickly got away from the brooding man, "Really wish he would use the door." Stiles commented as Micah ducked out the window, "Then again no one does, except Landon."

"Scott bit someone last night."

"Has that been reduced to a statement now?" Stiles responded as she got up to get her school supplies ready, "Because last night felt otherwise, but with you it's kind of hard to tell."

Derek could see that he wasn't going to get any answers, "Stiles." He said in a tone. That same tone he used when she was being difficult. It was the same tone he had been using when she got back from Scott's, but Stiles ignored him and went to sleep.

"Yes, but it's nothing for you to worry about."

"Two shifters, who can't control their shifts." He pointed out to her, "That's plenty to worry about."

"Well, technically three if you want to count Kate."

"Don't be a smartass."

"Not trying to be," Stiles opposed as she stuffed a textbook into her backpack, "It just comes naturally." Stiles noticed the glare Derek was giving her, "Relax, I've done it before I can do it again."

Derek knew Stiles was right. After all, she had helped Scott with his shift all on her own, with the occasionally guidance of Derek, but when he really thought about it Stiles handled it better than any normal person would, "You're right." He found himself saying.

Stiles gave him a shocked look before it was replaced with a smile, "I'm always right." She placed a kiss on his cheek and left.

_And put on a freaking shirt before my dad changes his mind and decides to shoot you after all_

* * *

The school bell had rang as Landon and Kira sat at their chemistry table. Landon had his math notes out on his laptop and Kira couldn't help, but notice how weird that they looked, "These are your math notes?" She questioned, "No wonder Micah's failing."

"Um, some of them are my notes." He told her as he pointed at a formula, "The rest I think might actually be a code." He said in awe.

"But you don't remember writing it?" Kira guessed by the look on his face.

"Not in the slightest." He confirmed, "But considering my drawing of a tree led us to the Nemeton, I should probably figure out what it means before it tries to kill us."

"Maybe it's like the Enigma Code the Allies used." Kira offered, "Remember my dad was a World War II buff? And my mom was, well... In it."

Landon continued to look over his notes and the mix of the code, "I think it's a variation on something called the Vigènere Cipher." Kira gave him a questioning look, "A code in which letters are substituted based on a code word or "key."" He explained.

"Do you know how to crack it?"

Landon's Mom, who sometimes taught at Beacon Hills High School, appeared and dangled a set of keys in front of Landon, "Remember the rules. No more than six people allowed in the lake house. Stay out of the wine. And if anything gets broken, it's getting added to your credit card debt."

"Fine." Landon agreed, taking the keys.

"And lock up the basement." She added in, "From all the scratch marks I found on the walls, it looked like a pack of wild animals got down there."

Landon and Kira both gave uneasy glances at each other.

* * *

Garrett, Violet, and Mason exited the school bus, "I'm not watching another movie on a Friday night." Garret complained to them, "Mason, there's gotta be something going on."

"You remember we're freshmen, right?" Mason reminded him as they walked along the corridor, "We just got off a school bus. We're not exactly gonna be hitting the clubs till 4 a.m."

"Okay." Violet agreed with him, "Movie at your place." She said with a smile as she and Garrett walked away.

Just as Mason was left alone, Liam suddenly appeared beside him panting, "Hey. Liam, why weren't you on the bus?"

"I ran."

"You ran three miles to school?" Mason asked with disbelief.

"Yeah." Liam said, "I just started running."

"So I guess your leg's okay?" Mason gestured, but he also noticed that Liam had a bandage wrapped around his arm, "What happened to your arm?"

Liam had a dizzy spell and noticed Scott watching him from across the quad, "Dude, are you okay?" Mason asked his friend with some concern.

Liam shook his head and Scott somehow managed to disappear within the crowd, "I'll talk to you later." Liam told him, earning a questioning look from Mason, "I gotta get to class."

* * *

Inside the school, Liam was by his locker when he heard a familiar voice, "Liam, hey!" He looked over his shoulder and saw Stiles heading in his direction. He quickly rushed to put everything in his backpack. But just as he was about finished he got cornered by Isaac and Scott.

"We need to talk." Scott told him.

"No, you need to back the hell up, okay?" Liam told him and gestured at Isaac was well, "Both of you."

"Can you just listen for one second. Please?" Scott asked him before he took a breath, "Liam...We're brothers now."

"What?" Liam asked him as if he had lost his mind, Stiles who was standing right beside him gave Scott a "Really?" look.

"Oh, God. That's..." Stiles groaned with a slow head shake knowing full well where exactly Scott was getting his words from.

"What are you talking about?" Liam asked unimpressed, "We just met and you  _bit_  me."

"The bite..." Isaac offered to him, "The bite is a gift."

"Okay just stop." Stiles told the two of them, "Please stop." She begged as she turned her attention to Liam with her attitude completely changing, "You," Stiles pointed a finger at him, "We're trying to help you little runt."

"By kidnapping me?"

"Just to clarify, Scott kidnapped you. Okay?" She told him, "Isaac and I aided and abetted."

"Liam, I've gone through this before." Scott tried to tell him, "Something's happening to you. Something big."

Liam just glared at Scott, "Nothing's happening to me." Liam then ripped off the bandage and Scott's bite had healed completely, "Nothing."

With that being said Liam left the trio watching him walk away.

* * *

Sometime later in the school day by the school buses, Landon, Isaac, Micah, Kira, Stiles, and Scott were discussing what to do with Liam, "I'm not sharing my basement." Micah declared with his arms crossed.

"Actually, it's my basement." Landon corrected him, "And my mom noticed how you  _tore_  it up last time."

"I'm still learning." Micah said defensively.

"Well learn faster." Isaac advised him in an unfriendly tone.

"Hey hey hey," Stiles intervened interrupting the glaring match Isaac and Micah were having with each other, "We're going to use the boathouse for Liam."

"It's got support beams." Scott told them, "We can chain him to one of them."

"But how do we get him out to the lake house if he doesn't trust us?" Kira questioned them.

"I say if it keeps him from murdering someone we chloroform the little bastard and throw him in the lake." Isaac offered.

"I'm in." Micah approved with a hand raise.

"Glad to see that the two of you can agree on something," Stiles told the were-creatures, "But we're not killing or kidnapping him."

"Then let's be smarter." Landon told them with a brief moment of silence, "We tell him there's a party and invite him."

"So, you're going to ask out a freshman?" Stiles questioned incredulity.

"No, I'm done with teenage boys." Landon said in disinterested tone, "But, if we're playing a  _trick_  on someone, we'll have to use the  _trickster_."

Landon gave Kira a side-eye look. Kira looked from Landon along with everyone else staring right at her, "Who? Me?" She questioned noticing the looks, "No way. Not me."

"Yes, you." Landon said with a smirk, "You know what they call a female fox?" But Landon doesn't wait for an answer, "A vixen."

"Me?"

"You can do it, Kira." Landon assured her with another smirk, "Be a vixen."

* * *

Mason and Liam were walking in the school halls when Kira suddenly appeared from the top of the stair. Liam immediately caught sight of Kira as Mason's words began to drift into the background.

Kira caught sight of Liam staring at her and in slow motion, Kira sexily descended the stairs. Liam was obviously smitten with her, but somehow Kira tripped on the last one and fell on her face.

Liam was quick to rush to her aid, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Fine." Kira said easily recovering, "You want to go to a party tonight?" She asked with a flirtatious smile.

* * *

At the loft, Peter has a gaping chest wound, oozing black puss, but was still alive after his encounter with The Mute, "The axe was laced with wolfsbane." Derek explained to him, "I don't know the species so I'm going to have to burn it out."

"I think I can handle a  _little_  fire." Peter sassed at him. Wordlessly Derek held up a blow torch (along with slightly amused look on his face) and fired it up, "Ah, hell." Peter muttered just as Derek cornered him onto the table and Peter started to scream.

Once he was recovered, "He said he was after you." Peter told him.

"How does a guy with no mouth say anything?"

"With this." Peter apparently stripped the assailant of his key board speaking device during their fight.

* * *

Kira drove Liam through the woods. The full moon was out. Liam's hearing had become very sensitive and while her car stereo is playing low – he could hear a cacophony, "It's Landon Martin's lake house." Kira explained to him, "Actually, it's his grandmother's lake house. But she's dead, so it's okay." Kira quickly realized how horrible that sounded, "I mean, it's not okay that she's dead. Unless she was in pain."

"Can you turn the music down?" Liam asked once the music was beginning to become too much.

"You want me to turn the music up?" She asked him. Liam noticed that the music was actually playing softly and not as loud as he thought it was.

Liam phone began to buzz, it was a message from Mason,  _"Where are you?_

"Who'd you say was coming to this party?" Liam asked her.

"Um... Everyone."

Liam quickly responded back to his friend.

* * *

Scott arrived at the lake house on his motor bike. Landon, Micah, Isaac and Stiles were already waiting, "I just talked to Kira." He told them once he got inside, "She's on her way." He noticed the worried look Stiles was giving him, "She said it's all going fine."

"It's not that. We have to tell you something." Isaac confessed. Scott looked between his best friend and Isaac realizing that they both were wearing the same facial expression, "Stiles asked around about Liam and found out why he got kicked out of his last school."

"This is going to be bad, isn't it?" He asked already dreading the answer he was probably going to get.

"He kind of got into it with one of his teachers. And..." Stiles struggled to find the right words to say, "The kid's got some  _serious_  anger issues."

"How serious?"

"Well," Stiles showed him a picture of a car on her phone, "That's his teacher's car." She explained, " _After_  he took a crowbar to it."

The image showed a smashed and dented car with windows busted out and the words  _"THIS IS YOUR FAULT"_ scratched across the passenger side doors (front and back).

As they get closer to the lake house, Liam's breathing became labored and Kira looked worried. Once they arrive he seemed to fine, but he was suspicious that there aren't more vehicles there.

"Where is everyone?" Liam asked once they got out of her car.

"They're here." Kira assured him, "It's a small party."

"You said everyone was coming."

"They are. They're late. And we're early." She said quickly as she headed to the front door, "So we better hurry. Yay! Party." She enthused to him, but Liam stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Landon, Scott, Micah, Isaac, and Stiles waiting for him, he turned his attention to Kira, "Sorry." She apologized meekly closing the door.

"What the hell is this?" Liam asked the older students.

"Think of it like an intervention." Stiles offered to him, "You have a problem, Liam."

"And we're the only ones that can help." Scott told him.

* * *

Derek had brought the wrist keyboard (which was attached to a leather glove) to the Sheriff's Station, "I still don't get how this guy has no mouth." The Sheriff wondered aloud, "How can he eat?" He asked Derek.

Derek looked over at the Sheriff and finally realized where Stiles' odd questioning came from, "Peter didn't get a chance to ask." Derek informed him, "He was fighting him off with a tomahawk  _buried_  in his chest." He wisecracked.

The Sheriff ignored the wise crack and commented, "But who runs around with a tomahawk?"

Parrish stuck his head in the Sheriff's office they had been occupying, "I carried one for IED removal in Afghanistan." He informed him, "It's military." He looked at the wrist keyboard, "And so is that."

"Do you know what it's used for?"

"Well, this one looks like it's been modified." Parrish shared as he got a better look.

At a nod from Derek, the Sheriff gestured Parrish to come into his office. He closed the door between his office and the bullpen and turned back to Parrish, "Show us."

* * *

"Werewolf?" Liam questioned at Scott and Isaac, "Werecoyote." He stated at Micah, "Reaper." At Landon, "Fox?" He questioned towards Kira.

"Kitsune." She corrected him, "But fox works."

"What are you?" Liam questioned Stiles.

"Uh, for a little while, I was possessed by an evil spirit." She said uneasily, "It was very evil."

"What are you now?"

"Betterish?" She asked/said and looked at the others for help. It was better than saying "A mate to a werewolf" which probably would've lead to more questions than necessary. Because face it, even after a year it still sounded weird.

On the table in front of him, Liam noticed the chains and restraints, "Are those for me?" Liam questioned them.

"No, they're for me." Micah answered as his eyes glowed blue.

Liam immediately stepped back away from the group, "How did you do that?" Liam asked slightly panicked.

"You'll learn." Scott told him, "But first, you need to get through the full moon."

"The moon's already out." Liam told him. Just then Liam could start hearing the sound of a heartbeat and he covered his ears.

"And you're starting to feel something, aren't you?" Scott asked calmly, noticing the reactions.

"I feel like I'm surrounded by a bunch of psychotic nutjobs." Liam said in a struggled breath, "You guys are out of your freaking minds. I don't know how you did that eye thing and I don't care. I'm walking out the door right now! If any of you try to stop me, I swear to God, I'm gonna..."

Liam continued to get angrier and angrier until his hearing was overwhelmed by a scream only he could hear, "What's wrong Liam?" Scott asked him.

"You don't hear that?" Liam asked him.

Just then outside, headlights shined through the window, "Did you tell someone about this?" Landon asked him worriedly.

"My friend Mason." Liam told him as he ears was suddenly filled with noises of students arriving to the Lake House, "You said it was a party."

"Who did Mason invite?" Isaac asked just as worried.

"Everyone." Kira said as she peered outside the window.

* * *

Liam's nails shifted into claws and he began to scratch the floor, "The floors!" Landon yelled out to them, "Get him off the floors!" He demanded.

Liam raised up, bared his fangs, growled at Landon and made his way toward Landon, "Stiles!"

Stiles clapped her hands together, just as Liam rushed toward him, and held her hand out.

As expected, Liam rammed right into the force field that surrounded Landon and was knocked back down immediately, "We have to get him to the boathouse." Scott told Stiles as they both rushed to Liam's side.

Then out of nowhere, Micah made a sudden body jerk and fell to the floor, "Micah are you okay?" Kira asked him, but the only response she got was Micah releasing a low roar as he turned her direction, eyes glowing blue.

"Hey... Okay, basement." Stiles stated toward Kira and Isaac, "Now."

Landon quickly realized what happening as he was to be left alone with a horrible situation, "What am I supposed to do with the hordes gathering outside the door?" Landon asked them.

"Landon, who throws the best parties in Beacon Hills?" She asked him from the back door of the house.

"What?" Landon challenged in an offended tone, "Me,  _obviously_."

"Okay, then throw a party." She suggested to him as she and Scott rushed Liam to the boathouse while Kira and Isaac took Micah to the basement.

Landon made a displeasured face and made his way to the door. When he opened the door he was faced with Garrett and Mason with large group behind them.

"Hey. Uh, are we in the right place?" Mason asked him. Landon gave him a glare.

"For the party?" Garrett sweated from the look on Landon's face.

Landon forced a grimace-like smile, "Absolutely." The crowd cheered and flooded inside.

* * *

At the station, Parrish had managed to hack into The Mute's keyboard glove device, "Okay, I think I got an IP address."

"That means we can find him, right?" The Sheriff questioned.

"Definitely. Especially if..." Parrish got cut short when the glove made a whirring sound and twitched.

"What was that?" Derek questioned Parrish.

On the keyboard Parrish made some keystrokes, "I think I found a message." He told them. Both Derek and the Sheriff looked onto the computer screen. On the screen there was a jumble of letters and numbers, but one line was easier to read.  _D; BENEFACTOR: MONEY TRANSFERRED_

"Does anyone recognize the handle "Benefactor"?" Deputy Parrish asked them.

"Money transferred." Derek read the screen, "What does that mean?"

"That means this guy is not just a killer." Sheriff Stilinski told them, "He's an assassin."

* * *

Landon's lake house sat on a hill above a lake that was reflecting the full moon. Alongside the lake, a small metal boat house sat on the water. Inside, Scott tried to hold a now conscious and snarling Liam back while Stiles fastened the chains to one of the buildings support beams, "Get his hands." Scott directed to her.

It seemed to only work for a short moment, because Liam managed to break free and landed on top of Scott. The two werewolves wrestled until Stiles suddenly attacked Liam from behind with a nearby boat paddle knocking him out cold.

"You were a lot easier to manage." Stiles told him as she helped him up from the floor.

"If I recall correctly I nearly attacked you in the locker room."

"I stopped you then."

"With a fire extinguisher."

"Still stopped you."

"And then there was that time when-"

"Do you really want to do a countdown of all the times you tried to kill me?" Stiles interrupted him, "Because it's honestly nothing compared what I did to you."

A blanket of silence fell over them, "You remember at the hotel during the sacrifices." Scott spoke breaking it, "Almost killed us both."

"That wasn't you." Stiles countered, "Something was inside your head."

"That wasn't you either."

* * *

Micah had managed to calm down a bit as Kira tighten his restraints, "Too tight?"

"Tighter." Micah told her, "You both can leave if you want."

"We're not going anywhere." Kira told him.

"To be honest, I feel safer down here than in a party with fifty freshmen and a very pissed off Landon." Isaac told him.

* * *

Upstairs a delivery man rolled in a keg of beer, "Okay, I didn't order a keg of beer." When he saw the keg and held up the bottle, "Especially not  _domestic_."

"Somebody ordered it." Demarco, apparently, told him, "Are you trying to tell me nobody here wants to drink?"

Landon acquiesced and took the bill, when he noticed that someone placed a glass of wine on his laptop and he started to freak, "This laptop is $2000 and..." He turned to see that Garrett had an opened bottle of wine in his hand, "That's $400." He said taking the bottle away from him, then Landon looked at the bill he had taken from Demarco, "What's this extra hundred dollars?"

"I call that the "Yes, you do look 21 to me" surcharge." Demarco told him.

Landon relieved an irritated sigh and noticed that Mason was heading upstairs, "Let me get you some cash." He told him as Landon quickly followed Mason upstairs.

"I opened the wine." Garrett told Demarco, "I should probably pay for the keg." He handed the delivery man several bills.

* * *

Stiles and Scott were both sitting at the dock by the boathouse. Liam was still out cold and was now tied up in chains, "He looks so young." Stiles said softly.

"He is." Scott said as they looked over at Liam, "He's only fifteen."

"What are we going to do with him?" Stiles asked facing back to the full moon, "He's not like you were."

"We're going to help him." Scott told her.

"What if he doesn't want our help?

"He will. And why are you suddenly becoming so worried about him?"

"He's your beta, Scott," Stiles reasoned to him, "I think it's becoming a natural thing for me to worry about everyone in this pack of ours."

* * *

In the basement, Micah was still struggling with his shift. He yanked against the restraints as both Isaac and Kira stayed on guard.

"Just go." Micah told them as he lets out a snarl.

"It's okay." Kira told him. "We're not going anywhere."

"How do you do it, Isaac?" Micah asked he lets out a pained breath, "How do you stay in control? How do you not feel like this?"

Isaac looked as the werecoyote struggled through his chains. The chains that were locked around his wrists just as Isaac's were during the Kanima Incident. Back when he, Erica, and Boyd were learning control with the moon.

"Find an anchor." Isaac told him as he repeated the same words he was taught so long ago, "Something  _meaningful_  to you." Isaac said as he kneel beside Micah, "Bind yourself to it. Keep the human side in control."

"What is it for you?" Micah managed to ask just before he lets out a pained roar.

"My Dad." Isaac told him, Micah looked at him confused, "Our anchors don't always have to be present in our lives." Isaac explained to him, "Sometimes even good memories are enough to keep our human side in control."

Micah slumped back against the wall as he slowed his breathing and focused. There was a brief moment of silence before he started to slowly transform back into his human form. Micah opened his eyes as they glowed blue, but now he had full control.

"You did it." Isaac told him as he loosened the restraints.

Micah jumped into Isaac's arms, "Thank you." Micah told him.

Isaac was shocked by Micah's reaction, but he also remembered the struggles he had as well. From over Micah’s shoulder, Kira gave an innocent smile just as she finished up texting someone.

* * *

Outside, Demarco returned to his car only to find that he had a flat tire, "Oh, come on. You got to be kidding me." He said aloud into the night, "Son of a bitch. Son of a..."

On his profanity rant, Demarco started to feel the pull of the full moon as he grew claws and his eyes glowed yellow as he grunted and growled. Knowing what was happening he took several breaths and started to chant, "Three things cannot be long hidden. The sun, the moon, the truth." The mantra seemed to help as his claws retracted, "Three things cannot be long hidden. The sun, the moon, the truth." His eyes returned back to normal, "Three things cannot be long hidden. The sun, the moon, the truth."

As he was kneeling, a figure came up behind and looped a chain around his neck. It was pulled tight and as Demarco struggled with his assailant. Had anyone been on the street, they would see that Violet, Garrett's girlfriend, attacking him.

She pulled the chain tight and then pushed a silver brooch attached to it. The chain began to glow and Demarco's neck began to smoke. Within seconds, his head was detached from his body and flopped to the ground. Violet snapped a picture with her cellphone and walked away from the body.

She returned to the Landon's Lake House. The music was playing loud as she refashioned the deadly wire into a necklace and the brooch/button mechanism hangs bolo-like around her neck. She walks up to Garrett who was apparently waiting for her.

"What are you smiling about?" She asked him.

"Our friend just sent me a text." Garrett told her. He showed her his screen with a message from "The Benefactor" that said " _The money has been transferred into your account."_  Violet smiled broadly and they kiss.


	8. The Benefactor pt.2

Mason was upstairs in the hallway, "Liam?" He looked down the hall and noticed a door opened, "You up here?" He called out as he wandered into a white room with red accents at the end of the hall. It was decorated sparsely with a bookcase, a couple of chairs, a desk and a record player. "Dude, where the hell are you?" He mumbled to the empty room.

He turned around to leave only to find a very annoyed Landon staring right at him, "What are you doing up here?" Landon questioned him, "The party's downstairs."

"I was looking for Liam."

"Sorry, but missing freshmen are a little low on my priority list." Landon told him in a dismissive tone.

"But not so low you don't know he's a freshman?" Mason questioned back at him.

Landon narrowed his eyes at him, "I might have seen your friend." Landon said pointedly, "Downstairs." Somehow on the way out of the room, Mason had ended up bumping into Landon and the wine Landon held spilled onto the carpet, "Oh, my God, the carpet..." Landon shouted now freaking out, "No, God, no." He fell to the floor and looked at the red stain.

"Hey, it's all right." Mason told him when he noticed that Landon was panicking, "It'll come out." The only thing Landon did was shoot him a glare.

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry." Mason recovered when he realized that it was the wrong thing to say, "Was it valuable?"

"No. That's the problem." Landon claimed automatically, he looked around the room, "Nothing in here's valuable." He gasped before breathing calmly, "We just put the house on the market. It was supposed to be left without a scratch." He lamented with broken strength, "It has to be in perfect condition. We need every penny we can get out of this place."

"Okay, let me go get some club soda and salt." Mason offered. This time Landon gave him a soft look, "Landon, it'll come out." Mason said with assurance, "It will."

"Okay."

* * *

Landon stayed behind after Mason left. He continued to stare at the stain as the door seemed to close on it's own shutting out all sound. Landon noticed the sudden silence and got up from the floor and reopened the door and could once again hear the party raging downstairs. Which he thought was really weird, he closed the door and the room was completely silent once more.

"Soundproof?" He wondered aloud, looking over the room. His gaze fell onto the red record player. He walked over and turned it on. The needle raised and found its way to the record before dropping.

A peculiar kind of white noise flowed from the speakers. While listening, Landon could see faces that seem to push through the white wall, mouths opening and closing as if speaking. Landon stared transfixed.

* * *

At the boathouse, Scott and Stiles were still looking out into lake, "What?" Stiles asked when she noticed that Scott was staring at her.

"This kind of remind me of old times." Scott told her. Stiles couldn't help, but laugh at the statement.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." She told him, "We've been through a lot this year and it looks like it's going to continue to happen."

"You're worried about him."

"Everyone is doing a lot of worrying around here." She commented with a shoulder shrug, "I honestly thought things would get back to normal once we got Derek back."

"Define normal." Scott told her. They both shared a laugh, "How are you feeling?"

"The nightmares you mean? Still happen, but have finally stopped being intense on a certain level," Stiles shared with him, "Even though I kind of sent Derek flying across the room by accident, the other night. Not sure what that was about. How about you?" She gestured toward the moon, "With the moon?"

"It still takes a lot of concentration." Scott admitted to her.

"So if something were to distract you…"

"Oh Stiles please don't." He begged when he noticed that mischievous look she was giving him.

"Okay fine." She told him with her hands up in surrender, "I won't do anything." However, Scott could hear the minor blip in her heart just before she sent him into the lake with a simple hand gesture.

Scott came up to the surface with his eyes glowing red, "Dude." He said in a fake outraged tone, "What the hell?"

Stiles ignored Scott's comment about needing a new best friend as she continued to laugh at him, but there was a sound that filled her ears, "Did you just growl at me?" She asked him.

"That wasn't me." Scott told her as he gripped onto the deck and pulled himself up. They both turned to see Liam conscious and angry struggling out his chains.

"Those chains aren't going to hold him." Stiles informed Scott just as Liam busted out of his chains, ran past them, dove through the window, and ran off through the woods.

"I hate it when you're right."

* * *

The Sheriff (with gun drawn) and Derek entered the high school, "You know, just because this guy connected to the school's WiFi, doesn't mean he's still here." Derek told him as they walked down the dark halls.

"True." The Sheriff agreed, "But I've seen enough in this school to keep my gun in hand when walking in after dark." He noticed a large pool of blood seeping under one of the classroom doors, "Like blood."

"That doesn't make sense." Derek stated confused.

"Yeah, no kidding." The Sheriff agreed as they got closer.

Derek shook his head, "That's not what I mean." Sheriff Stilinski looked confused, "I should've caught the scent  _before_  we walked in."

They now stood on the outside of the door, "Hold on." Derek whispered to him.

Derek was about ready to open the door, but now he was nervous because something wasn't feeling right, just as he was about to reach for the knob the Sheriff stopped him and Derek gave him a confused look, "You nervous makes me nervous." He told Derek.

They cautiously opened the door and were able to see the knob was attached by a line. Derek followed the line and noticed that it was attached to something inside the classroom, "It's an explosive. A claymore." Derek told him. The pair looked worriedly at each other just as Derek sensed something coming, "Get down!"

Derek grabbed the Sheriff, and threw him to the ground just as a tomahawk sliced through the air and made impact into the wall where his head was.

The Mute appeared from his hiding place on the stairs and came towards them as the Sheriff began to shoot.

* * *

Scott was chasing Liam out in the woods, but Liam was a lot faster than Scott. So it came no surprise to Scott that he had somehow managed to lose the wild beta. Just as he was about to turn back around Liam came up from behind and threw Scott into a tree, "What did you do to me?" Liam demanded angrily.

"Liam..." Scott said trying to calm him down.

"This is your fault." Liam roared at him, "It's all your fault! This is your fault!"

A flash bolt arrow then whooshed through the air as it hits the tree near their heads. Liam was blinded and screamed in pain as he ran off leaving Scott behind.

Scott looked in the direction the arrow came from and sees Allison armed with her crossbow on top of a nearby hill. She walked down the hill and gave him hand to get to his feet.

"How did you know?" Scott asked in awe.

"We got your text." She said with a small smile as she pulled him up.

* * *

At the school, the sheriff had been thrown to the ground as Derek was facing off with the Mute. He was dodging The Mute's tomahawks attacks and managed to disarm him while pinning his arms behind his back.

The Sheriff finally recovered and held up his pistol toward the assassin, "You have the right to remain silent." Even the Mute looked unamused by the line himself, "Anything you say, can and will be used against you in the court of law. You've the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one..."

But just as Sheriff Stilinski was cuffing him, Peter Hale appeared out of nowhere with his eyes glowing blue.

"No, Peter, no!" Derek shouted to his uncle. But Peter didn't pay him any attention. Instead, Peter moved (more like threw) the Sheriff aside and savagely started to rip the Mute into pieces.

Once, Peter was done with his attack he turned to find that Sheriff Stilinski had his pistol leveled at him. Peter gave a small grin and a headshake as he wiped his hands with a handkerchief and walked away.

"We've learned a better way." Derek reminded his uncle.

"I'm a creature of habit." Peter told him plainly as he exited the school.

The Sheriff and Derek exchanged worried glances.

* * *

"There's a clearing just north of here." Allison told Scott as they navigated through the woods, "All you have to do is corral him there. The rest is taken care of."

"What are you going to do?" Scott asked her worriedly.

"He's your Beta, Scott." She reminded him, "The better question is what are _you_  going to do?"

"He won't listen to me."

"He will if you start using your  _own_  words." Allison told him sly. Scott looked a bit shocked, "Oh yeah, Stiles told me exactly what you said."

In the distance, they both could hear Liam screaming once more.

"Here." She whispered to him and handed him a remote, "Go."

The trap was a circle of Ultrasonic Emitters. Liam was on his knees in the center as Chris Argent stood by. Scott arrived and turned them off. Liam was no longer transformed, but he was still freaking out as to what was happening with him.

"What's happening to me?" Liam asked him still recovering from the high-pitched sounds.

"The same thing that happened to me." Scott told him and Liam looked up at him helplessly.

* * *

Isaac and Micah stayed in the basement just to ensure that Micah had full control while Kira was now upstairs at the party. "Landon?" She tried the through the music, "Has anyone seen Landon?" But no one was paying her any attention.

Kira made her way upstairs to find Landon still staring at the record player, "Hey. Landon?" She asked softly, "Are you okay?" But she doesn't get a response and quickly realized that Landon was in some of kind of trance. The same trance he got in when he started to hear things, "What do you hear?"

"The key." He said in a monotone voice, "The key to break the code."

Liam was now crying on the ground, "They can't know about this." He said aloud to them, "My mom, my stepdad, I can't do this to them again."

"What do you mean again?" Scott asked fully concerned.

"I got kicked out of school and I deserved it." Liam shared with him. Scott kneeled down to his level, "The way they looked at me when…they saw what I did to that car..."

"Liam, it's okay." Scott assured him once more.

"They looked at me like I was a _monster_ ," Liam said still crying, "They can't see me like this."

"Like a monster?" Scott questioned him. From behind Liam, stood Allison and Scott remembered how he was in the exact same position as Liam, "You're not a monster." Scott told him and Liam looked at him confused, "You're a werewolf. Like me." Scott told him as his eyes flashed the Alpha red.

* * *

The beeping sound continued as Landon now had his laptop. He inputted the keyword "ERICA" and pressed the enter key. A list of names and numbers scrolled down the screen.

SEAN WALCOTT 250

DAVID WALCOTT 250

MICHAEL WALCOTT 250

CHRISTINA WALCOTT 250

LANDON MARTIN 20

SCOTT MCCALL 25

DEMARCO MONTANA 250

DEREK HALE 15

CARRIE HUDSON 500

KAYLEN BETTCHER 250

KIRA YUKIMURA 6

ELIAS TOWN 250

"What is this?" Kira questioned as the names appeared on the screen.

"It's a list of supernaturals in Beacon Hills." Landon pieced together looking over the names and numbers, "It's a dead pool and we're all on it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "How do they even know about me?" Kira questioned.
> 
> "They know about everyone." Isaac told her, "Except me, which is kind of weird."
> 
> "Agreed, but I think Kira's right." Stiles told Scott, "I think we should stop the game."
> 
> "I'm not afraid." Scott told her.
> 
> "Neither am I." Kira said agreeing with Scott.
> 
> "Well, I'm terrified." Stiles all, but shouted at the supernatural creatures, the lights around them flickered and they all looked concerned at Stiles. "And I'm not even on the list." She pointed out to them, "Guys, these are professional killers. It's their profession." She reminded them, "One of them has got a thermo-cut wire that cuts heads off. Who knows what else they have?"
> 
> XXXX
> 
> Something's not right." Stiles told them unable to shake off the uneasy feeling, "We're missing something."
> 
> "What do you mean?" Scott asked, "He didn't get any of us or Liam."
> 
> "I know," She agreed fidgeting, "It's just that if Garrett wanted to get Liam he would've gotten him... he's a professional...they don't miss."


	9. I.E.D pt.1

In the dark night, a young girl was running through the Beacon Hills High School Campus. She was bleeding from her shoulder and one of her hands were missing. All that remained was a cauterized and smoking stump. Behind her, Violet pursued casually spinning her "thermo-cut wire" bolo necklace smirking sinisterly.

The girl quickly took refuge inside one of the buses repeating a mantra, "the sun the moon, the truth." As her eyes glowed the beta yellow.

Thanks to her enhanced hearing, she was able to hear Violet nearing closer and stopped chanting and hid. Meanwhile, Violet entered the exact bus and slowly made her way down the aisle with her weapon ready. She remained alert, but with a burst of speed, the girl leapt up, swiping at Violet with her remaining claws, and managed to escape.

She raced across the parking lot, but was stopped short when a truck pulled up in front of her. It was Garrett.

"Get in!" He urged her, but the girl wasn't so sure and was already panicking as it is, "Come on, she's coming, get in!" Upon that statement the girl quickly gets in and suddenly found herself being locked inside the car with him, "Seriously?" Garrett questioned her a bit surprised and disappointed. The girl looked at him with fear, "I can't believe you fell for that."

He doesn't give the girl a chance to fight back as he quickly stabbed her with his knife.

* * *

Stiles Stilinski placed a series of pictures and red lines of tape on her new, improved, see-through Lucite murder board. Scott wasn't surprised to see that she already had the system going up.

"So, the Walcott's were the first." She told the Argents catching them up on the recent events that have been happening, "At least the first that we know about." She admitted and pointed at the family portrait, "Four murders. Sean, his brother, and their parents. They were killed by a professional assassin called The Mute. Weapon of choice, a military tomahawk."

She pointed at a picture of Peter on the board, "But then The Mute was killed by Peter Hale after he tried to blow up Derek with a Claymore mine." She pointed at another picture of the Mute, "Next was Demarco. He delivered a keg to the party at Landon's lake house. And got decapitated outside his car." She reviewed.

**FLASHBACK**

Chris and Allison Argent, along with Scott McCall are standing to the dead body of Demarco, "Does the scent tell you anything?" Chris asks him.

"Definitely a werewolf." Scott shares with them, "But there's more." He takes another sniff of the air, "I think he was part of a pack." Scott realizes.

"Well, if he was," Allison tells him, "They'll be looking for him."

**END FLASHBACK**

"And then last night," Stiles said as she placed one more picture to the board, "23-year-old Carrie Hudson." It was a picture of the girl from the school.

Scott and Stiles took everything they have along with the partial list of potential victims, to Sheriff Stilinski in his office. The Sheriff was confused about the list that they had given him, "It's a dead pool. A hit list of supernatural creatures." Scott explained to him, "That's only part of it. The rest still has to be decoded."

"Who found this list?" The Sheriff questioned them.

"Landon." Stiles told him.

"How?"

"He wrote it." Stiles explained, "Actually, he transcribed it." She corrected herself, "Without realizing it."

"Reaper?"

"Reaper."

"Beautiful." The Sheriff commented accepting that as the plausible answer, "All right, what are these numbers next to the names?"

"We're getting to that." Stiles told her father, "First, you need to know that the code was broken with a cipher key."

"Wait." The Sheriff asked now confused, "You mean, like a... Like a key word?"

"It's actually a name."

"Erica." Scott shared with him.

"Her name broke a third of the list." Stiles told him.

"And now we think there's  _two_  other cipher keys."

"Which will give us the rest of the names." The Sheriff said with a hint of tiredness, "Okay. So how do we get the cipher keys?"

"Same way we got the code." Stiles informed him.

"Landon." Scott informed, "Him and Allison have been out at the lake house all weekend trying to find the other two key words."

_Allison and Landon both have been out at the lake house all weekend, using the record player in the soundproof room, trying to get further messages, but has so far received nothing via his reaper power. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of static._

"You didn't know about Demarco or Carrie." The Sheriff asked Scott, but Scott shook his head, "Hmm? And what about this two names on the list? Uh, Kayleen Bettcher and Elias Town. Are they werewolves too?"

"I don't know." Scott admitted, "But Deaton said that the Nemeton would draw supernatural  _creatures_  here."

"Here being Beacon Hills?" He asked, "Or Beacon  _County_?" He pointed out, "The population of Beacon Hills is just under 30,000."

"And dropping..." Stiles inputted.

"But if we're talking Beacon County, then you're looking at close to 500,000." He told them, "Look, how many werewolves, banshees, reapers, kitsunes and whatever the hell else is out there are we talking about?" He started to question them, "And what if the next cipher key uncovers not 12 names but 100?"

"We don't think there would be that many." Stiles stated, "There's a limit."

"Because of the numbers." Scott shared, "We think that once we decode the names, the numbers will add up to 117."

"117 what?" The Sheriff asked them.

"Million."

"117 million dollars, Dad." She repeated to him, "Stolen from the Hale vault and is being used by someone to finance all these murders."

"Someone who wants  _every_  supernatural in Beacon Hills dead." Scott shared with them.

"So the coded list goes out." The Sheriff summarized, "And somehow these professional assassins get that list."

"And a cipher key." Stiles included.

"And then they go after the names on the list." Sheriff Stilinski laid out, "They being killers with no mouths, tomahawks, thermo-cut wires that can take your head off."

"Carrie was stabbed." Stiles noted as she looked over the latest crime scene photo. It showed an odd shaped mark around each of the knife wounds, "What's this mark?" She asked at the mark over Carrie's heart.

"We're not sure yet. We're still waiting on the ME's report." He shared with them, "There's one other thing I don't get. How did this new assassin know that Demarco was going to be at the lake house?"

"Everyone knows he delivers kegs to teenagers for a little extra cash." Scott told him.

"So whoever ordered that keg killed Demarco."

"Yeah, it was someone at the party." Stiles said confidently.

"A student." Scott realized.

* * *

At school, Violet pulled her collar over to hide the claw marks inflicted by Carrie during her failed escape, "You all right?" Garrett asked her.

Violet sighed and showed him the marks, "I can handle a scratch or two if I know we're eventually going for the real money." She told him, "The  _seven_  figure money."

"We are."

"When?"

"Tonight."

* * *

Kira was at her locker when her father appeared, "It's not that we were wanting to talk to you." Her father told her, "It's that we were wondering if you wanted to talk to us."

"About what?" Kira asked him, trying not to jump to conclusions.

"About something that you forgot to mention?" He implied, noticing how she was clearly avoiding to look at him, "Something important."

This stopped Kira from putting her books in her locker, "How important?"

"Exceptionally."

He knew she realized, "Oh, God. You know?"

"We know."

"Look, I was going to tell you." She rambled out, "We were going to tell you everything. About the dead pool, the assassins, the killings. But I didn't want you to worry."

Mr. Yukimura looked concerned and out of place, "I was talking about you joining the lacrosse team." He held up a lacrosse team #15 jersey.

"Oh." She said with a nervous laugh, "Then never mind." Then she quickly shut her locker and rushed off.

"Dead pool?" Mr. Yukimura questioned to himself.

* * *

Liam was bench pressing 180 pounds in the weight room with Mason, "You know how I keep reminding Garrett to give me back my hoodie?" Mason asked him as he did his own workout.

"Yeah." Liam said as he continued to bench press.

"Well, I remembered you said he lived in that housing development on Spaulding." He shared with him, "So I went there and guess what? The housing development is still in development."

"So?" Liam asked not getting at what Mason was hinting at.

"There are no houses yet. So unless the dude lives in some backhoe, there's something he's not telling us." Mason told him. Then he looked over to Liam who added and additional 90lbs to the barbell and continued pressing, "And then there's this other dude," Mason continued, "Man, he's... He's been acting really strange. Running to school for no reason. Disappearing at parties. Used to be my best friend."

"Uh-huh." Liam responded clearly not paying attention to anything Mason had been saying as he adds an additional 90lbs.

"And he was apparently on steroids." Mason commented.

"What?" Liam questioned him upon hearing Mason's comment.

"You're not actually going to try to lift that, are you?" He asked him, "Are you all right? I mean, is it about the game tonight?"

"I'm fine." Liam assured, "It's just a scrimmage."

"You know who you're playing, right?"

"Yeah." Liam told him, but Mason gave him a look that said he knew better, "I mean, no. I guess I missed the announcement."

"Liam, it's your old school." Mason told him, "Devenford Prep."

* * *

Liam was angry as he entered the locker room. He was breathing heavily as he threw down his gym bag and opened his locker, "What the hell?" He gritted when he noticed a specific object was missing, "Where's my stick?"

He then heard the sound of a stick being scraped along the sides of metal mesh lockers in another part of the room. Derek appeared from the other side of the lockers with a stick in hand, "Is this yours?" Derek asked him casually.

Instead of waiting for Liam to give him an answer Derek did what he did best. He broken the stick into two and threw the pieces on the floor in front of Liam.

Liam gave Derek a glare as Derek simply just stared at him with an uncaring expression. Liam easily wolfs out and sprinted toward him. Before Liam has a chance to strike Derek picked him up by the throat and pinned him to the wall of metal lockers.

Liam continued to growl at him as his eyes glowed yellow, while Derek struggled slightly to keep him in place. From another set of lockers Scott appeared and tried calling out to him, "Liam."

Liam could barely hear him through the rage haze he was in, "You're right." Derek commented, "He is angry."

At Derek's comment, Liam was somehow able to calm down enough to be released, "This one's yours." Scott told Liam as he handed him an undamaged lacrosse stick.

The school bell rung, "Get to class, Liam." Scott told Liam. Liam gave Derek one more glare before he left the locker room. Scott watched Liam until he was gone and switched his attention back to Derek, who apparently was smiling at him, "What are you smiling about?" Scott asked confused.

"You're gonna be good at this." Derek said with some pride in his voice.

"Are you  _kidding_?" Scott questioned him, "I am totally  _unprepared_." Scott claimed as he placed himself on the locker room bench, "Remember how you said you could teach me a few things? I think, right now I could use a full-on training  _manual_."

"I'll tell you one thing." Derek expressed to him as he sat next to him, "That anger he's got? It'll make him strong."

"And dangerous." Scott pointed out.

"Very."

"This was supposed to be the semester I could focus on school again." Scott told him, "But Kate's back. And I've got a Beta. And there's a dead pool."

"If all our names are on that list, then that's what we should be focused on." Derek told him, "Do you think Landon can get that second key?"

"He's working on it."

* * *

Landon, Micah, and Allison were in the art room. Allison stood by the door on guard as Micah and Landon were at an easel. Landon had a pencil hover over the paper, but inspiration wasn't occurring, "Please stop hovering." Landon commented.

"I'm not hovering." Micah said right in his ear, "I'm waiting. Draw something. Write something." He pressed at him, "We need to know who else is on that list."

"You mean, you need to know if you're on the list." Landon corrected in strained tone.

"If someone's coming to take my head off, then, yeah," Micah said, still not moving from his spot, "I'd like to know."

"Can you please just sit down?" Landon asked, "You're making me nervous."

Micah moved away and whispered, "Sorry. Landon."

Landon tried to focus once more, but he couldn't focus because he still didn’t know what the hell he was doing and it still felt like someone was hovering right over him again, "What?" He finally snapped and threw the pencil down, "Oh, my God, what?"

He turned to see that it wasn't Micah who was standing behind him, in fact Micah had been by the door, "Maybe we need help." Allison told him a soft tone. She knew that this whole process was starting a toll on her best friend, "From someone just like you."

"Meredith."

* * *

In economic class, "Economic disparity exists in all forms." Coach Finstock explained to the class, "Well, take sports, for example. Some teams have better training facilities. Some have better equipment. Unlike Beacon Hills that can barely afford the duct tape to keep our equipment together."

During the lesson, Stiles was going over the crime scene photos of the most recent murder. So really she wasn't paying attention to anything he had been saying. Coach even noticed and placed himself in front of her desk, where she didn't even look up, however he did notice the pictures, "You know, Stilinski, if I could grade you on how profoundly you disturb me, you'd be an A plus student."

"Thanks, Coach." Stiles automatically still not looking away from the pictures.

Coach tapped the end of the lacrosse stick on the desk, which caused Stiles to look up, only for her eyes to fall attention to the end of the lacrosse stick that had been tapping on her desk, "Put those pictures away." He told her, but instead Stiles grabbed the end of the lacrosse stick, "Stilinski!" He ordered when he tried to take it back, but couldn't because Stiles hadn't let the stick go. She didn't let go until the third tug, "The hell is wrong with you?" Coach demanded, but quickly added, "Don't answer that."

Stiles noticed that the end of the stick matched the shape of around the stab wounds on the latest victim.

* * *

"It's a lacrosse player." Stiles told Scott, Kira, and Isaac later that day in the locker room.

"The killer's on the team." Scott stated understanding the same idea, "This... This is pointless." They had pulling apart all the team's lacrosse sticks looking for the weapon, "Most of the team plays with their own gear." Scott pointed out.

"Maybe instead of trying to find a lacrosse stick with a hidden dagger in it," Kira offered, "We should be trying to get the game canceled?"

"The game's the best way to catch him red-handed." Scott reminded them.

"But what if he's red-handed 'cause his hands are covered in the blood of the person that he just stabbed to death?" Stiles countered, "Which, by the way, could be either of you guys." She reminded Scott and Kira.

"And Stiles can't put a force field around you guys during the game," Isaac reminded them, "There's really no way to protect you guys."

"Or Liam." Scott said as it was starting to sink in, "Well, we don't have the whole list and he could be on it."

"We don't know  _anything_  about the list." Stiles countered, "How it's made, how it's updated." Stiles listed with a frustrated sigh, "I mean, who's been out taking a supernatural census anyway?"

"How do they even know about me?" Kira questioned.

"They know about everyone." Isaac told her, "Except me, which is kind of weird."

"Agreed, but I think Kira's right." Stiles told Scott, "I think we should stop the game."

"I'm not afraid." Scott told her.

"Neither am I." Kira said agreeing with Scott.

"Well, I'm  _terrified_." Stiles all, but shouted at the supernatural creatures, the lights around them flickered and they all looked concerned at Stiles. "And I'm not even on the list." She continued as if nothing ever happened, "Guys, these are  _professional_  killers. It's their  _profession_." She reminded them, "One of them has got a thermo-cut wire that cuts heads off. Who knows what else they have?"

* * *

In the Chemistry Classroom, Violet was mixing a yellow powder into an unknown liquid, "That's wolfsbane?" Garret questioned, "I thought it was purple."

"Not this species." She told him, "Which is very rare and very expensive."

"What's that supposed to mean? "Don't screw up"?" Garrett questioned her.

"Don't miss." She corrected him as she pour the mixture onto the end of Garrett's stick knife, "Okay, all you have to do is nick him." She said to him, "It'll work fast. Even on an Alpha."

"We gonna do this again?" Garrett questioned feeling the same argument they've been having coming up.

"I'm just saying I don't know why we're going after a Beta when there's an Alpha on the field." She bemoaned to him.

"Because an entire pack of Alphas went after McCall and he was the one left standing." Garrett reminded her.

"It's a lot of money."

"So is the Beta."

* * *

Landon hung up his phone and turned to Allison and Micah, "Eichen House says Meredith can't have visitors without permission from a family member." He shared with them.

"That's not gonna be easy since her whole family is dead." Allison brought up to them.

"Perfect." Landon mumbled.

"Okay, maybe we go back to the art room?" Micah proposed to them stopping them in the middle of the crowded hall, "Or music room?"

"I'm not plucking piano strings for two hours waiting for some supernatural inspiration." Landon protested with a hint of annoyance.

"Fine." Micah said backing off slightly, "What else do banshees and reapers do?"

"You think I know?" Landon questioned this time snapping at Micah, "I can't just turn this on." He said making a gesture around his face, "I'm  _not_  like you guys." He ranted edging closer to the were-coyote, "I don't have claws, or glowing eyes or super senses. I just have  _voices_  in my head."

The last was apparently loud enough for the other students in the hall to hear. They turned and stared at Landon. Landon ignored the looks before taking a breath and walking away, leaving Allison and Micah behind.

* * *

Of all things that Mason didn't want Liam to see this was one of them, "Liam, wait." Mason called out to his friend who was now heading to the school parking lot. As they were walking their way through the school corridor Mason had noticed that Devenford Prep buses had pulled up at the school.

Sadly, Mason looked a second too long and Liam saw the team unload off the buses and was making his way over there, "What, no, no, no, no. Liam." Mason commented as he watched his friend confront the group.

"Brett!" Liam called out to one of the familiar people in the crowd.

It seemed like the entire group had turned to face Liam, but there was one particular person who seemed slightly amused at being called out on, "Ah, here we go." The boy mumbled to his teammates.

Liam finally made his way over to them, "I just wanted to say..." Liam told Brett as he extended out his hand, "Have a good game." Liam wasn't going to lie it was hard to face his past. Especially after what he did.

Instead of taking Liam's hand, the taller boy simply laughed, "That's cute, Liam. Is that what they told you to say in Anger Management?" Brett mocked at him, "Apologize and everything's fine? You  _demolished_  Coach's car."

"I paid for it." Liam countered putting his hand down.

"Yeah, you're going to pay for it." Brett responded in a very low tone, "We're gonna _break_ you in half out there." He threatened him, "And it's gonna be all your fault."

Scott, Stiles, and Isaac were watching the confrontation that was going on between Liam and Brett. While watching Isaac noticed that Liam was clutching his fists so tightly that blood began to drip from between his white knuckles, "Oh, shit." Isaac commented. Scott noticed too and pulled Stiles along as they rushed over to Liam.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Scott whispered to Liam as he and Isaac pulled the boy back, "Let's go." Isaac and Scott rushed Liam away while Stiles was stuck with the group of prep students looking right at her.

"Hey, what's going on prep students?" She chatted easily, "Welcome to our little  _public_  high school. How you doing?" She extended her hand out to Brett, who just stared at her, "That's a firm handshake you got there." She commented easily before pulling her hand back and gave off a nervous laugh, "Uh, we're very excited for scrimmage tonight. Uh, but let's keep it clean, all right?" She chirped, "No rough stuff out there." The only thing Brett and the other players did was stare at her, "All right, see you on the field."

* * *

Isaac and Scott crammed Liam into the running shower as he snapped his fangs and roared at them. The shower seemed to be working slowly, but surely, "Okay, you calm yet?" Isaac asked him. Liam released another roar out of rage, but had managed to calm himself down.

While Liam continued panting to get back to normal, Scott kneeled onto the locker room floor, "That car you smashed." Scott said, knowing that Liam had left out an important detail, "I thought you said that was your teacher's."

"He was also my Coach." Liam admitted, "He benched me for the  _entire_  season."

"What did you do?"

"I got a couple of red cards."

"Just a couple?" Isaac questioned with heavy doubt.

Scott felt the same way. Liam was hiding something else and they needed to figure out what it was before he actually ends up wolfing-out on someone, "You gotta be honest with us." Scott urged him, "What else happened?"

"Nothing." Liam said almost helplessly, "I got kicked out of school and they sent me to a psychologist for evaluation."

"What did they call it?" Stiles asked when she finally made into the locker room.

"Intermittent Explosive Disorder."

"I.E.D?" She questioned, "You're  _literally_  an I.E.D?" Liam gave her a head nod, "That's great. That's great." She turned her attention to Scott, "You gave powers to a  _walking_  time bomb."

Scott ignored Stiles' remark and stayed focused on Liam, "Did they give you anything for it?"

"Risperdal." Liam shared to him only to get a confused look from Scott, "It's an antipsychotic."

"Oh, this just gets better." Stiles muttered in disbelief.

"But I don't take it."

"Obviously." Isaac pointed out to him.

"I can't play lacrosse on it." Liam explained to them, "It makes me too tired."

Scott realized that things just got a lot more complicated, "Okay. I think you should bail out of the game." Scott told him, "Tell Coach your leg is still hurting."

"No, no! I can do this." Liam refused and pleaded, "Especially if you're there." He looked helplessly at Scott.

"Liam, it's not just about the game." Isaac told him, "We think whoever killed Demarco might be on our team."

"Who's Demarco?"

"The one who brought the beer to the party." Stiles reminded him, "The guy who was beheaded."

"We think the person who ordered the keg killed Demarco." Scott told him and he noticed that Liam's face fell, "Liam? What, you know something?"

"I don't know who ordered the keg." Liam shared with them, "But I know who paid for it. It was Garrett."

* * *

Scott and Stiles had filled in Kira and Micah on what they had found out by the time the scrimmage was about to begin. Kira, Scott, Stiles, Isaac, and Micah were standing by the sidelines. Scott, Kira, and Stiles were already in their lacrosse gear, "Shouldn't we do something now?" Micah questioned them as they all watched Garrett warming up.

"I mean, we can't." Scott told them, "We're still not really sure if it's really him. And if we're wrong, then the real assassin gets away."

Kira lets out a shaken sigh, "Nervous?" Isaac asked her.

"About someone trying to kill us?" Kira questioned, "Or about playing my first game?"

"Both?" He offered.

"Definitely both." Kira told him.

While the others were trying to figure how to keep an eye on Liam and Garrett, Stiles was talking to the one person who wasn't at the scrimmage yet, "Dad, you're supposed to be here." Stiles reminded him, "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm leaving now." The Sheriff said. He was still at the Sheriff's station, "And this conversation isn't getting me there any quicker." He inputted just before he hung up on her.

Stiles just groaned at her phone and turned to the pack, "Dad's on his way." She shared with them.

"What about Derek?" Scott asked, but knowing full well that Stiles purposefully didn't tell him that there was an assassin on the team.

"He's with Argent dealing with the Kate situation." Stiles replied completely side-stepping Scott's real question.

"You didn't tell him." Micah said outing her out.

"No," Stiles admitted, "But we have important things to worry about at this point." She looked up into the stands and noticed that two other specific people were missing, "Like, where the hell Allison and Landon are?"

* * *

The Sheriff was just about to leave his office when Deputy Parrish came in, "Sheriff, I know you're in a hurry, but I was out on patrol and I found someone walking from the coast to the High School."

That was really unusual, "That's gotta be at least 15 miles." Sheriff commented.

"She was pretty determined." The deputy told him. The Sheriff took a breath to see what exactly his deputy was talking about.

Outside on the bench in the station sat Meredith, "I'm looking for Landon." She told him.

* * *

Liam and Mason were talking about Brett, while Liam was still putting on his lacrosse gear, "I don't care if he's a foot taller than me." Liam ranted to him, "I think I can take him."

"Yeah." Mason responded in a monotone voice. He wasn't paying any attention what Liam was talking about. In fact, he was staring at their enemy from down the field.

"What do you think you're doing?" Liam asked realizing that Mason was indeed checking out Brett on the other side of the field.

"What? Me?" Mason scoffed, "Agreeing with you." Mason told him, "I'm being agreeable." Then Brett suddenly took his shirt off and Mason’s expression changed.

"You think he's hot, don't you?" Liam accused him.

"No! No. Not at all. No way!" Mason denied easily, but Brett looked over at them, gave them a small grin, and Mason quickly added, "Maybe. Yeah, maybe a little."

"He wants to destroy me." Liam reminded him.

"I think you could  _definitely_  take him." Mason said with assurance, "And then give him to me."

The two friends share a laugh just as Coach appeared right beside them, "No, no just go out there and kick their smug prep school asses." Coach told Liam.

"All right." Liam agreed.

* * *

Derek was showing Chris Argent the vault under the school. Chris seemed surprised by all the objects that were down there. There was even a small bone of a dinosaur display, "She was here for this." Derek told him as he held up the triskelion disc, "We use it to teach young Betas how to control the shifts on a full moon."

"Control was never one of Kate's strengths." Chris commented as he continued looking around the vault, holding onto the small dinosaur.

"You knew she was alive, didn't you?" Derek asked sensing some uneasiness coming off the Argent.

"Not for certain." Chris confessed, "But I've been searching ever since you handed me the shotgun shells."

"I thought those were all yours."

"Some of them weren't."

**FLASHBACK**

"Just be happy it's the only thing she took." Chris tells Derek wearily, once they have the twins at the loft.

When Derek hands Chris the shells he notices marks surrounding the metal rim and primer and is able to recognize some of them, but is slightly confused at the same time. Before he can say anything his phones rings.

**END FLASHBACK**

"Why didn't you say anything?" Derek questioned him.

"Because Stiles needed you more." Chris answered easily.

"What are you gonna do when you find her?" Derek asked him after a moment of silence.

"There's a place I can take her." Chris shared with him as he puts down a dinosaur skeleton.

"You saying you have some kind of werewolf jail?"

"Something like that."

"She won't go quietly." Derek pointed out to him.

"I don't expect her to." Chris admitted, "And I'll do what's necessary."

Derek could practically feel the promise that Chris was giving to him. The assurance that he too going to stop his sister by any means necessary.

Derek lets out a dreaded sigh, "What if I asked you not to?" This earned him a questioning look from Chris, "She took something from me." He told him, "At first, I just thought it was a part of my past."

"I started to lose something else." Derek continued, "My sense of smell." Derek's mind flashed back to the night at the school with the Sheriff and seeing the blood on the floor. He even remembered the minor struggle he had with handling Liam in the locker room, "I'm losing my power." As if to make a point Derek lets his eyes glow the beta yellow only the color seemed faint and Chris looked alarmed.

"That's not the only thing is it?" Chris questioned him.

"No."

**FLASHBACK**

Derek and Peter are staring at multiple maps that share the layout of Beacon Hills in hopes to finding any possible hiding spots that Kate could be. It has been day five of the search and they have yet to find anything. The Sheriff is also working another night shift, which is the reason why Stiles is sleeping at the loft instead of the comfort of her own home.

They've checked the old train station that Derek had stayed at before, but had turned up with nothing. It was really starting to irritate him that they couldn't find Kate. Especially when she was most likely the cause as to why his eyes were yellow.

"Aren't you going to check on that?" Peter questions him, breaking the quietness that has fallen between them.

"Check on what?" Derek asks in an annoyed tone.

"Stiles." Peter states in an obvious tone, looking at Derek suspiciously, "She's floating right now." Derek turns to see that Stiles is indeed floating over the bed, with her arms, head, and legs hanging backwards, "Is that normal?"

"She's having another nightmare." Derek tells him as he walks to over to the bed and gently grabs hold of one of her hands and slowly pulls her toward him. The first time he had tried waking her up she had sent him flying through the hole in the wall. Now the smart thing was to let her sleep and just place her back into the bed, "They have gotten to a point where she can handle them on her own, but there are nights when it gets like this."

Peter eyes him suspiciously, "How could you not feel that?"

"Sorry, I've been busy trying to find the woman that murdered our entire family." Derek snaps at him, while laying Stiles back into the bed, "In case you have forgotten she de-aged me and tried to get a hold of the triskeleton."

"Redirect that anger to someone who deserves it," Peter tells him, only for Derek to give him a glare, "I just thought she was supposed to be better with the spark once you got back."

"So I did." Derek says to himself as Stiles turns over to her side, asleep with a red jagged line appearing to run down her back.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Coach was now ready for the scrimmage to begin, "Let's go! Let's go, come on!" He easily noticed how Scott was yet on the field, "Hey, McCall, I said get your ass out on the field."

"But Coach, his leg's still healing." Scott tried when he noticed that Liam was out on the field, "I don't think he should play."

"He said it's fine."

Scott tried to pull the only card he had, "As Captain, I'm suggesting Liam sit out the game."

The only reaction he got out of Coach was a laugh in the face, "And as, uh, President of the United States, I'm vetoing that suggestion." Coach said easily.

"What if he gets hurt?" Scott questioned him.

They both watched as Brett called, "Hey, Liam! Think fast!" Brett tries to whip a ball at Liam's head, but Liam snatched it out of the air with zero effort.

"Oh, he plays." Coach told Scott just before he blew the whistle for the scrimmage to begin.

* * *

Soon the scrimmage had begun and the Devenford prep scored within seconds of the game. However, Kira and Scott were playing offense, while Stiles and Liam were on defense.

"There you go, Liam!" Coach shouted encouragement when Liam had managed to catch other flying ball from entering the goal. However, the prep defense was able to recover quickly and Stiles and Liam weren't exactly prepared, "Liam! Stilinski!" Coach shouted, but unfortunately they both were too late as the player managed to get pass them and shoot the goal.

The players reset quickly as the ball was now in play. This time BHHS was on the offense and Kira and Scott managed to pass the defensive line and were able to help another teammate make a goal.

In the stands both Micah and Isaac watched the game intensely, but were also watching eagerly and cheered with the goal that was made on their team.

In between a small break as everyone readied themselves into positions, "Why do I feel like this is going to end badly?" Kira asked Scott and Stiles.

"Because it usually does." Stiles informed her.

"Kira, you keep an eye on Garrett." Scott told her, "I'll watch out for Liam."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna try to play lacrosse." Stiles shared lightly. Scott and Kira knew what she was getting at.

* * *

In the middle of the field Scott tried to reason with Brett, "Brett, I know you guys feel like you owe Liam some payback for what he did but could you just hold off for one night?" He asked the player as they got into the ready position, "Trust me. One night."

"Yeah, I can do that." Brett said easily.

"Really?" Scott asked a bit surprised by the easiness of the answer.

Brett chuckled and easily said, "No."

Then whistle blew and the crowd began to cheer as the game commenced. But as they started back to playing again revival team members suddenly began to come after Liam, "Liam!" One shouted just at Liam, while the other one body checked him.

The crowd gasped in shock, "Liam!" Stiles shouted as she made her over to her fallen team member. She helped him up as the players scored another goal.

"That's it." Stiles mumbled.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski called in Landon with Allison in tow, "I'm aware this is probably about the dead pool, but I can't let her leave the station." He explained to them, "And, in a minute, I'm gonna have to call Eichen House and let them know that she's here." Meredith was in his office looking around.

"Give us an hour." Landon stated.

"You got 15 minutes." The Sheriff informed him and Landon knew that wasn't going to be a lot of time and Allison and him both made their way into the room.

"You called Landon?" Deputy Parrish asked as they watched from the doorframe.

"Yeah."

"Because Meredith asked for him or because of the other thing?" He wondered.

"What other thing?" The Sheriff asked on guard.

"The psychic thing."

The Sheriff was speechless, "You think Landon's psychic?" He asked his deputy.

"Do you?"

"No, I do not." The Sheriff with convection, "I think that he is, uh..." He struggled to find the right word, "Intuitive."

"That's what they used to call psychics." Deputy Parrish told him, "Intuitionists."

"Yeah, and I used to call myself a _rational_ human being." The Sheriff mumbled to himself, "Let's get in there and shut the door."

In the Sheriff's office, Allison and Landon weren't getting anywhere with Meredith, "Didn't Stiles mention that her powers using phones?" Allison whispered to Landon.

Landon handed Meredith his cell phone, but the only things Meredith does is hold the phone doing absolutely nothing, "Meredith, aren't you going to answer it?" He asked her.

Meredith easily leaned towards Landon and Landon followed suit, Meredith whispered, "It's not ringing."

* * *

Stiles was facing another player on the field, "You guys know that anabolic steroids are illegal in the United States?" She cracked at him, "You wear a lot of facial hair for a teenager." She continued to comment on the player, "What are you on? Seriously? HGH? Gamma radiation?"

The distraction she had put up managed to work as the player somehow managed to fall over just the ball was sent their way. She caught it with such ease as the crowd cheered and whipped the ball to Kira.

"Run Kira!" She shouted to the Kitsune, "Run, Kira, run!"

Kira does and was able to run full tilt toward the goal and evaded all defenders in the process, "Pass it! Kira, pass the ball!" Coach shouted from the sidelines, but Kira noticed that she had an opening and flung the ball into the goal.

In the stands both Micah and Isaac cheered along with the rest of the crowd, but there was someone who wasn't too happy about.

"Yukimura! Get over here." Coach yelled at her angrily, "Take a seat. You're benched for the rest of the game."

"What? Why?" She panicked.

"You didn't pass."

"I had an open shot." She tried to reason with him.

"The play was for you to pass." He reminded her, "This is a scrimmage, It's about teamwork, Yukimura." He said sternly, "So, you're benched."

Kira looked helplessly at the others in the stands. While still on the field, Garrett was eyeing Scott, but doesn't make a move.

* * *

At the Sheriff's station time was running out, "Meredith, you came here to help us, remember?" Allison told her.

"You called me." Meredith countered to Landon.

"What do you mean I called you?" Landon asked her.

Meredith whispered, "I heard you."

Deputy Parrish stepped in, "Meredith, can I ask you a question?" Meredith gave him an acknowledging look, "When you need help, when you need to find something, is there someone you reach out to? Maybe someone you call?"

"It depends." Meredith said plainly, "Different people for different things."

"So maybe there's a number that can help us?" He suggested to her, "Someone we can call."

"Yes."

"Would you be okay telling us?" He asked seeing that they were finally getting somewhere.

"Yes." She said automatically, "It's 2, 6, 9, 3."

"Mer, we need a few more numbers." Allison told her.

"No." Meredith dismissed quickly, "That's the number."

"Phone numbers are 10 digits." Allison told her calmly.

"That's the number." Meredith repeated.

"Meredith," Landon tried in a calm tone, "Phone numbers always have 10 digits."

"That's the number."

"Meredith..."

"Landon." The Sheriff called from his spot by the doorway, "Come here."

Landon sighed heavily and made his way to the Sheriff, "I think that's the best we're gonna get." Sheriff Stilinski whispered.

"No." Landon said strongly and turned his attention back to Meredith and whispered to himself, "There has to be more."

Landon stormed his way back to the Banshee, slamming his hand on the desk, "What's the rest of it, Meredith?" Landon questioned yelling at the Banshee, "Hmm? Just concentrate!"

"But that's... that's... that's the number." Meredith whispered seemingly frightened.

"Concentrate!" Landon shouted at her. Everyone in the room stood in shock at Landon's behavior. Allison wasn't sure if she should pull the Reaper away from the Banshee.

"That's... That's the number." Meredith said weakly, "That's the number."

"It's okay, sweetheart." Sheriff Stilinski assured her, pulling Landon away, "We're..."

"That's the number!" Meredith shouted at them the same way Landon had done to her.

* * *

Chris was in the weapons cage at his apartment building. He heard a noise and flipped a switch to electrify the metal mesh surrounding him. A figure outside the cage dropped to the floor. Chris drew his weapon and turned to find Severo pointing a gun at him. Araya Calavera appeared from the darkness, "In Mexico, we just call this a standoff."


	10. I.E.D pt.2

At the game, things had gotten intense. During one of the plays, Brett rammed into Liam and flipped him causing him to break his arm. However instead of one player down, both Liam and Brett crashed to ground. The only problem was that Brett stayed down, "Brett, you okay?" Scott asked clearly worried about the other player.

"Okay, back off!" Coach demanded them as Brett groaned in pain, "Back off!"

"How  _hard_  did you hit him? Scott asked his beta, as they watched the paramedics take Brett off the field on a stretcher.

"I didn't." Liam said panting confused as to what was happening, "He hit me."

"Ow." Stiles commented at Liam's weirdly shaped arm.

"Close your eyes." Scott told him and Liam did as followed, Scott reset Liam's arm with a crack of the bone.

Somehow, Scott's in enhanced hearing kicked in as the sound of Garrett's snick knife clicking back in place filled Scott's ears, "Are you cut?" Scott asked quickly as he searched Liam, "Did Garret cut you?"

"No, no." Liam assured him, "I'm okay."

"Then he missed." Stiles realized, but something wasn't right about it.

"What do you mean?"

"It's you, Liam." Scott told him, "You're the one he's after."

* * *

The Sheriff and Deputy Parrish were preparing to send Meredith back to Eichen House and Landon was drained, thoroughly exhausted, and even more stressed. Allison was ready to make a call when she noticed the letters on her dialing pad.

"Hey Landon," Allison said showing him her dialing pad, getting an idea, "What if the numbers are actually letters?"

Landon get the same idea quickly and drew out a grid of letters and worked out the numbers that Meredith had given them. It only took a second as some of the numbers spelled out BOYD. He quickly typed it into his laptop and a new part of the Dead Pool scrolls out.

KATE ARGENT 12

NOSHIKO YUKIMURA 5

JOANNE MCLAUGHLIN 1

STEVE GRACE 1

TOM HILL 1

BRETT TALBOT 1

"Oh, God..." Landon muttered.

* * *

At the game, Scott and the others (along with Derek) regrouped, "I talked to Coach." Liam informed them, "I'm out for the rest of the game. What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know." Scott admitted as he looked at the others worriedly, "What's wrong?" He asked when he noticed Stiles making her thinking face.

"Something's not right." Stiles told them unable to shake off the uneasy feeling, "We're missing something."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked, "He didn't get any of us or Liam."

"I know," She sighed frustrated, "It's just that if Garrett wanted to get Liam he would've gotten him... he's a _professional_...they don't miss."

In that exact moment, Isaac received a text from Allison, "Guys." Isaac said getting all their attention, "Landon, just broke another third of the list."

"Am I on it?" Both Micah and Liam asked at the same time.

"No." Isaac told the two and showed the screen to them, "But someone else is."

* * *

In the locker room, the paramedic that helped Brett off the field was down and unmoving and Brett was crawling along the floor, but it seemed his legs were paralyzed. His eyes glowed yellow as he looked up and sees Violet, "What did you do to me?"

"You were cut with a poisoned blade." Violet told him with a smirk, "It was laced with wolfsbane. It won't kill you." She told him as she undid her thermo-wire necklace, "But this will."

"Why?" He questioned, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because you're worth a lot of money, Brett." She claimed as she looped the wire around his neck and pulled as it made a sizzling sound.

* * *

Landon was staring at the list when Deputy Parrish suddenly appeared and caused him to jump and shut his laptop, "Sorry, I was just seeing if you guys were okay." He assured them, "You need a ride home?"

"Uh, no." Landon assured him, "We'll be fine."

Once he exited, Landon returned to the rest of the list.

RICHARD BUFFORD 250

JACK MARSLAND 250

JOY WALDROP 250

CHERYL CARLIX 250

JORDAN PARRISH 5

* * *

Scott arrived in the locker room and found the unconscious paramedic. He also Brett still alive with his head attached, but unconscious. As Scott walked farther into the locker room, Violet jumped Scott from behind looping the red hot wire around his neck, "He said we shouldn't try." She said with a chuckle, while Scott struggled against her, "But now I've got you. I got an Alpha." She continued to tug onto the wire.

However while Violet was on her power trip, Scott got his hands between the wire and his neck and pulled back. He easily yanked the wire away and turned with his eyes glowing the Alpha red catching Violet by surprise as he grabbed her around the neck and threw her down rendering her unconscious.

In that moment, Stiles appeared with Derek by her side with red markings on her neck slowly fading.

"We're not doing anything like that again." Stiles chastised him, seeing the unconscious bodies on the floor.

Scott gave a weak laugh, "I think you better call your Dad." Scott told her.

* * *

Back in the Argent's weapons cage, "The girl we hired to find Kate hasn't responded in days." Araya told Chris, "You know her, don't you?"

"Braeden."

"Well, maybe your sister got to her." She lamented without having actual remorse, "Maybe killed her. Maybe we should stop hiring other people to do our work." She eyed at Chris, "Maybe we do it ourselves."

However, Chris was unmoved by the woman, "We're hunters, Christopher. All of us." She reminded him, "We follow a code. Severo, what is our code?"

"We hunt those who hunt us."

"Christopher?" She said pleaded at Severo's quick response, "What is our code?" But Chris doesn't answer, she whispered to him, "Say it with me. We hunt those who hunt us." She said strongly, "What is our code? Remind him, Severo."

"We hunt those who hunt us." Severo said.

"Say it, Christopher." Araya said clearly irritated that Chris hadn't repeated the old code, "Say it for your wife, Victoria. Say the code." She shouted at him, "Speak the words. Say it! What is our code?"

"We hunt those who hunt us." Chris said angrily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "I'm worth five dollars?" He asked in shock and maybe with some offense.
> 
> "Try five million." Stiles corrected, holding up the number 5 with her palm.
> 
> "I only make 40,000 a year." The deputy shared in shock, "Maybe I should kill myself." He mumbled and looked at the list once more, "I don't get it. Why... Why am I on this?"
> 
> "Honestly, that might be a question for another day." Stiles told him, not wanting to explain the whole supernatural ordeal, "Right now, there's still another third of the list we gotta crack."
> 
> "We need the third cipher key." Landon told him, "But we need help getting it."
> 
> "From who?" Deputy Parrish wondered.
> 
> "Meredith."
> 
> "The girl from Eichen?" Deputy Parrish questioned them, but mainly at Landon, "The last time you saw her, you almost gave her a nervous breakdown."
> 
> Stiles gave Landon a curious look, to which Landon simply pointed out, "Uh... Almost."
> 
> XXXX
> 
> Are you serious?" Scott questioned them, upon seeing the keyword and Micah's real name.
> 
> "Yes," Allison told him worriedly, "We can't let Stiles or Micah see that list."
> 
> "How is that going to be possible?" Isaac asked them.
> 
> "As far as the Micah issue we can only hope that he doesn't see it," Landon told them, "However, I was able to alter the keyword and replace it someone else's name."
> 
> Landon then handed over the altered dead pool. Isaac took one look at the fake name that they were going to give Stiles, "Why?"
> 
> "Because it couldn't just be anyone's name." Landon explained, "It would have to fit the pattern."
> 
> "Guys," Scott told when he caught sight of the name that they were going to give, "This is a very bad idea."


	11. Orphaned pt.1

**FLASHBACK**

Kate Argent wakes in the back seat of her car. She still has the Calvera's razor that they forced her to use to kill herself, but that isn't the reason why she is awake. The rain is loudly pounding on the outside of the car, but she notices static playing from the radio she pushes the knob. A cassette tape ejects from the Kenwood deck. The words "PLAY ME" are hand-written in ink on the label. Kate places the tape back in the deck and a cultured radio-announcer voice said the following,

"Eventually settling in a small town in Northern California, this family used their wealth to rebuild the community around them while remaining isolated from it. This was sometimes more a choice than a necessity as not all of their children would become werewolves. The ones that did, these born wolves, had to be trained. They needed to learn control. They had a practice from the training of Betas. The tradition passed out through generations, and involved the use of a sacred object called a Triskelion. Without control... Violence...  _Extreme_  violence... Is inevitable."

**END FLASHBACK**

Kate was covered in blood and in a amid of wrecked motorcycles, burning cars, and torn bodies. One of the Berserkers in her control was holding a bleeding man aloft, "Big fancy guns... Coded death lists... So-called assassins." She commented as she made her way over to the man, while still armed with her shotgun, "And not one of you can answer the _simplest_ question." She stated in an unpleasant tone, "Who's _paying_ the bills?" She cocked her gun, "So I'll ask again. Who is The Benefactor?"

"I swear to God I've never seen him, never spoken to him..." The Assassin cried to her, but Kate gave him a feign look of sympathy.

"I know." She said to him, "See, everybody says the same thing." She explained to the man, aiming her gun down, "They don't know who he is. Where he is." She spewed in a bored tone, "It's all done electronically. I can't help you." Then her tone changed, "Please, I'm bleeding to death. Please stop, it hurts." She continued ranting in a mocking tone.

"Then what do you want with me?"

"It's been a long time since someone's made me a mix tape." She told him as she held up the tape she found in her car four weeks ago, "You got one too, didn't you?"

"No, no... But I... But I know who did." The Assassin confessed to her, "They look like kids. Like teenagers. They're called The Orphans..." He told her.

Just then one of the not-so-dead bodies suddenly fired a gun into Kate's back. She was shocked, but she recovered and walked over with her shotgun drawn ready to shoot the man, instead she lost control, transformed and clawed the shooter to death. She then turned on the man being held by the Berserker, still transformed out of control, "Wait! Wait! I'll tell you about them." The man begged as she paced her way over to him, "I'll tell you everything. Just wait..." But Kate doesn't give him a chance either and ripped him to shreds too.

* * *

Coach Finstock was blocking the entrance to the locker room, "Guys, back off." He told his team, "You can get your gear tomorrow." He even added, "If anybody sees Garrett, you notify the police immediately. Then tell him he's off the damn team."

Liam was coming from around the corner of the hall when he noticed that Scott was talking to Agent McCall, "Dad, really. I'm okay." Scott assured him.

"I should've been here." Agent McCall countered, "And I said I would be at the games."

"Well, I mean this was just a pre-season scrimmage." Scott pointed out seeing that his dad was clearly beating himself up over it, "I didn't even tell you about it."

"But I promised your mom I'd be around so she could pick up some double shifts at the hospital." He looked at the scene before him, "I should've been here."

"You're here now."

Deputy Parrish walked a handcuffed Violet from the scene, "Jordan Parrish?" She questioned when she noticed his name tag.

"Deputy Parrish." He corrected her and continued escorting her out.

Violet made it a point to eye Scott on her way past with a smirk just as Sheriff Stilinski appeared with an item in the evidence bag, "Sheriff, what is that?" Agent McCall asked pointing at the bag, "Is that the weapon?"

"Yeah." The Sheriff showed him, "It's a thermo-cut wire."

Agent McCall seemed familiar with it, "Parrish, hold up."

Seeing his chance to finally get away Scott walked over to Liam and noticed that he was also alone, "Where's Kira?" Scott asked him.

"She took off." Liam explained, "Stiles told her about Landon cracking the second part of the Dead Pool."

"Her mom's on it." He realized.

"Everyone's on it."

"You're not." Scott reminded him, "And neither is Isaac."

"Not yet." Liam pointed out, "There's still another third, right?"

* * *

Agent McCall was now confronting Violet, "Thermo-cut wire's... a very unusual weapon, Violet." He told her, but Violet remained unfazed by the comment, "Now, we've got a file at the bureau on something similar. Used in over a dozen murders."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Violet said easily, "I just go to school here."

"Maybe we should call your parents then." Agent McCall told her, at the statement Violet made a face twitch, "Oh, no... That's right. You don't have any parents." He said knowingly, "That's why they call you The Orphans." They had a staring match just before Agent McCall signaled for Deputy Parrish to take her away just as Sheriff Stilinski stood by his side, "We need to find her boyfriend, Garrett."

Sheriff Stilinski didn't waste any time getting to Coach Finstock, "Coach, I'm gonna need both their locker numbers." He told the Coach, "And someone find me a set of bolt cutters."

* * *

On the exam table at Beacon Hills Animal Clinic, the Devenford Prep lacrosse player, Brett Talbot was now convulsing and spewing yellow foam from his mouth, "What the hell is happening to this kid?" Stiles questioned.

"He's been poisoned by a rare wolfsbane." Deaton told them, "I need to make an incision and you need to hold him as still as possible." Deaton told both Stiles and Derek.

Stiles and Derek each took a part of Brett's body. Stiles held down one of his arms, while Derek held down the other.

Both Stiles and Derek struggled to keep the lacrosse player from moving, but it was completely useless, "Hey, Derek, how about a  _little_  werewolf strength?" Stiles commented while they still held down the player.

"Yeah, I'm not the only one here with werewolf strength." Derek shot at her and Stiles seemed shocked and worried at the same time. That was when she made the easy connection. Brett was another werewolf. That and for some reason Derek was struggling to hold him down.

"If you can't hold him still, the incision might kill him." Deaton warned the pair in a calm tone.

Just as Deaton was about to cut, "Derek, he's slipping." Stiles warned, "I don't think I can hold him." In that moment, Brett eyes opened and his gaze zeroed in on Stiles. Before Stiles even has a chance to react his hand gripped tightly around her forearm and with a hard shove he sent her into the row of counters behind her as he took a swap at Derek and managed to break free.

He pushed past Deaton quickly, making his way to the back entrance of the clinic.

Just as the werewolf was close to his exit, Peter Hale appeared and punched the werewolf unconscious. Everyone in the clinic looked at him in shock, "I guess I still have a little werewolf strength myself." Peter cracked at them.

"Yeah, maybe more than a little." Derek commented to his uncle. Derek noticed that his arm, where Brett scratched him during the struggle, was not healing, just before he went to Stiles' side.

"I'm fine," Stiles assured him rubbing her forearm, the red markings had appeared once more after the impact she suffered with the counters, but were now fading away, "But I don't think he's breathing." Stiles said indicating at the unconscious werewolf on the floor. Deaton pushed the scalpel deep into Brett's breast bone and sliced down. The boy gasped and a thick yellow smoke flows up from the open wound and dissipated, "Is he okay?" Stiles wondered since the boy hadn't woken up.

"I think he'll be fine," Deaton assured them, Derek looked at the scratch on his arm and noticed that it was now healed, "But probably out for a while."

Stiles kneeled down to floor by Brett checking him over, "Guys, I think he's saying something." She shared in amazement because the werewolf was still unconscious.

"The sun... The moon... The truth..." Brett whispered, "The sun... The moon... The truth..."

Stiles looked at Deaton questioningly, "Three things cannot long be hidden." Deaton explained, "The sun, the moon, and the truth. It's Buddhist."

"Satomi." Peter commented knowing who exactly Brett was connected to.

* * *

Scott was breaking into Garrett's locker while Liam stood on look-out, "I think someone's coming. Hurry." Scott then pulled out the duffel bag and discovered that it was full of money, "You find anything?" Liam asked him.

"No." Scott lied easily, "Nothing."

Meanwhile, at the McCall residence the power was out and Melissa was on the phone talking to the power company, "I know that I'm a month late." She said into the phone, "Three months? Oh. Are you sure it's three months?" She couldn't help, but ask, "Okay, I understand. Um, but if you could just turn the power back on even for a few hours, that would be really great. I have a refrigerator full of food that's going to go bad." She explained to them, "And, obviously, I don't have the money to run out and replace $300 worth of groceries. So... I am more than happy to beg." She said to the other person on the phone.

Upstairs in his room, Isaac was listening on the entire phone conversation.

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Stiles asked Derek later that same evening at the loft changing out of her lacrosse uniform.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Stiles said struggling to pull the jersey over her head, "That you're a werewolf too. You should've been able to hold Brett down easily."

Derek could see her struggling with the jersey and made his way over to help her, "I'm probably still recovering from what Kate had done to me."

"Shit." Stiles mumbled when she realized that Derek had a point. Peter was still sort of recovering from being raised from the dead so it would only make sense, "Anyway we could forget about me pretty much questioning your whole werewolftitude? Or making you mention she-who-must-not-be-named?"

Derek doesn't answer, except to pull of the rest of the lacrosse jersey and toss it to the side, before grabbing the back of Stiles' neck and leaning her in close enough to where their lips were almost touching, "That's actually something I need to talk you about."

"Does it have to be so up close and personal?" Stiles asked with a smile on her face, "Not that I'm complaining or anything, but some of us don't have natural werewolf heat and tend to freeze without having a shirt on."

"Here." Derek told her as he stripped off his own shirt and handed it to her. Stiles gave him a raised eyebrow, but took the shirt wordlessly, "Now before I tell you. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't necessary."

Stiles gave him an inquiring look as she put the shirt on, "Why did I suddenly just get a bad feeling when you said that?"

"I asked Argent to do something for me." Derek said, instead of answering the question. He had been dreading the thought all night, "Argent has a place where he could put Kate away-"

"Good." Stiles voiced happily.

"I asked him not to."

In that moment, a tense silence began to fill the loft as Stiles stepped away from him. Derek could see that Stiles was calculating in her head by the face she was making, "I'm sorry," Stiles said in a surprisingly low tone, "I couldn't hear you over the  _insanity_ of that sentence."

"Stiles-"

"Are you forgetting she _shot and kidnapped_ you?" Stiles snapped at him, "Are you forgetting all the hell that she put us through? Put  _you_  through."

Derek could see red beginning to make an appearance all down the side of her cheek as she continued off into a tangent, "Stiles please calm down."

"I am calm," She retorted easily, "Just tell me why. Why, for all the things holy, would you ask him to do something like that?"

"I can't tell you yet," Derek confessed only for Stiles to make a face 'are you kidding me' face at him, "I wouldn't unless it was absolutely important."

Stiles gave him a glare as Derek now stood in front of her. Her breathing was still heavy and she looked like she was going to send him into a wall, but what he could feel from link there was something else. It was almost like Stiles was struggling with something inside herself, "Okay." She finally told him. This surprised Derek because he had been expecting a fight, not Stiles simply giving in, "I'm sure for whatever insane reason you have to even wanting to deal with her after what she has done is a good one. I'll help with the deadpool, you figure out the Kate problem. Deal?"

"Deal." Derek surrendered, "Just be careful, alright?"

"I could say same for you." Derek caressed her face, the one with the red, as he leaned in a placed a kiss on her lips. As he does a warm sensation came over his body, "I've got your back." Stiles told him when they broke apart with the red fading.

* * *

The next day, Liam and Mason were out for a run. Mason couldn't get over the fact that their so called friends had been actual assassins, "It's not just that we were friends with them." Mason said as they ran, "They were using us for their cover. I mean, professional killers were using us. How are you not freaking out about that?" Mason questioned his friend who was all and calm about the situation.

"Trust me," Liam told him, "I'm freaking out about a lot." And suddenly Liam took off running at "werewolf speed" leaving Mason far behind.

It only took a manner of seconds for Liam to realize what happened. Liam stopped and turned to the direction he came from only to have Garrett ram into him from behind with his truck.

Liam laid on the ground bleeding as Garrett got out of his truck, "Hey, Liam. Sorry about missing movie night." His former friend told him as the produced a dagger, "Don't worry. I got something else planned."

Mason arrived along the road where Liam was hit, but there was no one in his sight. He even doesn't notice the spots of blood on the pavement at his feet.

* * *

In math class, Ms. Flemming noticed that some of her students were missing, "Has anyone seen Stiles, Landon, or Isaac today?" But the class doesn't give her an answer and she turned to the one person of the group that did actually showed up, "Micah." She called out to the were-coyote. He looked alarmed, "Any idea where your friends are?"

Micah looked around confused realizing that he indeed was alone and he had no idea where anyone was, "I could try catching their scent." He offered to her. This earned him some snickering and a confused look from the teacher.

"Right." Ms. Flemming commented, "How about I just mark them down as absent."

Micah was getting his supplies ready and out when he heard, "Micah." He looked around and didn't see anyone looking his direction.

"Okay, everyone, let's begin with last night's homework." Ms. Flemming instructed the class.

"Micah." The voice called out to him one more time. He quickly realized that the voice wasn't coming from inside the classroom, but from the outside. He quickly gathered his books and bag and got up to leave the class.

"Micah." The teacher said noticing how she was about to lose another student, "Do you need to be excused from class?"

"Yeah." Micah answered as if it weren't obvious. He doesn't wait for the teacher's permission to leave and walked out into the hall, only to find Derek waiting for him, "What are you doing here?" He questioned.

"Brett's still out of it." Derek explained to him, "I need to find his pack and warn them about the Dead Pool."

"So what do you need me for?" Micah asked confused.

"I know a little something about this pack." Derek admitted, "They have a kind of secret meeting place in the woods." He then handed a lacrosse jersey to Micah, "This is Brett's. Breathe it in."

"I'm not good at that yet." Micah informed him, "You'll have better luck with Isaac or Scott."

"That may be true, but no one's spent more time in the woods of Beacon Hills than you." Derek pointed out, "Try it. I'll teach you. Focus on the different scents. Some are tied to identity. Others give off an emotion."

Micah took a sniff and understanding seemed to dawn in his eyes.

* * *

Stiles, Allison, and Landon were at the Sheriff's station. They had the second piece of the dead pool with them, "Your dad should be back within the hour." Deputy Parrish told the trio, "You want to wait in his office?"

"Actually, we want to talk to you." Stiles informed him.

"Privately." Landon told him.

Inside the Sheriff's office, "This is a hit list?" He questioned the teens, while looking over the list.

"We call it a Dead Pool." Stiles shared with him, "Recognize any of the names?"

"Yeah." Deputy Parrish admitted, "The Sheriff had me run a bunch of these through the system last night. But we couldn't find any of them."

"Show him the other thing." Allison motioned to Landon. Landon wordlessly flipped over the piece of paper and handed back to the deputy.

They watched as the deputy stared at the list, "Okay." He said to them and pointed to his name on the list, "That's kind of terrifying. What's the number?"

"That's how much you're worth."

"I'm worth five dollars?" He asked in shock and maybe with some offense.

"Try five million." Stiles corrected, holding up the number 5 with her palm.

"I only make 40,000 a year." The deputy shared in shock, "Maybe I should kill myself." He mumbled and looked at the list once more, "I don't get it. Why... Why am I on this?"

"Honestly, that might be a question for another day." Stiles told him, not wanting to explain the whole supernatural ordeal, "Right now, there's still another third of the list we gotta crack."

"We need the third cipher key." Landon told him, "But we need help getting it."

"From who?" Deputy Parrish wondered.

"Meredith."

"The girl from Eichen?" Deputy Parrish questioned them, but mainly towards Landon, "The last time you saw her, you almost gave her a nervous breakdown."

Stiles gave Landon a curious look, to which Landon simply pointed out, "Uh... Almost."

* * *

Scott and Mason were on the search for Liam. They went to Coach Finstock who was guzzling down cold medicine, "Sorry, guys, Liam skipped my class." He said in a stuffy tone, "Maybe he's sick. Like me." He told them before heading back into his office.

"Liam didn't look sick on our run." Mason informed Scott.

"He's not getting back to any of my texts." Scott shared as well.

"Mine either."

The school bell rings and Mason was reluctant to go to class, "Don't worry. I'll find him." Scott assured him, "But text me if you see him."

"All right." Mason caved as he made his way to his class. Scott was watching him go just as his phone buzzed.

He looked at his screen that said it was Liam calling, "This isn't Liam." Scott answered knowingly.

"Looks like you're good at something McCall." Garrett's voice answered from the other end of the phone.

"Where is he?"

"Come on." Garrett said in a playful tone, "Like I'm actually going to tell you that?"

"I'll give you the money." Scott told him, hoping that it would be enough.

"Yeah, you will. But that's not going to get you Liam back." Garrett said with a smirk, "You're going to have to put in a little more effort than that."

"What do you want?" Scott demanded.

"I want the money. And Violet." Garrett said strongly, "Or you never see Liam again."

_Liam was deep down well that was located in the middle of the woods._

* * *

Scott met with Garrett in the school parking lot, "Okay, what do you want?" Scott questioned the assassin, "You want me to go to Stilinski? I can do that. Or I can talk to my father. He's an FBI agent."

"You think I want you talking to anyone with a badge?" Garrett spat at him, "I'm not getting help from a werewolf because I want him to talk to someone."

"Then what am I supposed to do?"

"They are transferring Violet to a federal facility." Garrett told him, "You are not gonna let that happen."

"How?"

"They're going to put her in a car. We're going to follow it." Garrett instructed him, "We get ahead of it. You stop it."

"You want me to attack a car?" Scott asked with disbelief, "That's your plan?"

"You're an Alpha." Garrett gritted at him, "If you can't stop one little car, then one little Beta is going to die." He held up dagger from earlier, "Stabbed your boy with a blade dipped in wolfsbane. Once it gets to the heart... Bad things happen."

In the hole in the woods, Liam had a stab wound in his chest that was oozing yellow puss, "Help. Scott. Is anybody there?" He called out to the empty wooden area, "Somebody help me, please. Answer me! Help me! Help... Scott! Scott, help me, please. Help!" He cried out.

Unfortunately for the young beta he was too far into the woods for anyone to hear.

* * *

Making their way through the other side woods, "Their Alpha is a woman named Satomi." Derek explained to Micah, "She's one of the oldest werewolves alive. And she's learned a lot."

"What does that mean?" Micah asked not getting what Derek was saying.

"She's a bitten werewolf. Learning control wasn't easy for her." Derek explained to him, "She did something a long time ago that changed her." He noticed a wary face Micah was making, "What is it?"

"Gun powder." Micah answered just as Derek kneeled to the ground and picked up a gun shell.

Derek quickly got on alert, "If Brett's pack is out here, I don't think they're meeting." Derek said to him, "They're hiding."

* * *

Scott was trying to talk his dad out of transporting Violet, "We're taking her now." Agent McCall told his son.

"Dad, isn't that a little dangerous?" Scott questioned him, "I mean, Garrett's still out there. Maybe we should let someone else do it."

"I appreciate the concern, but after what happened with Katashi and losing evidence off an armored truck, I'm not letting this out of my sight." Agent McCall remained firm, "And if you're still worried, you should know I've got Beacon Hills' finest coming with us."

Apparently Sheriff Stilinski was accompanying him. He had Violet in tow, who smiled at Scott as she was being led out the station.

Scott met with Garrett in his truck who handed him a case. Scott opened the case and found, what looked to be, a tranquilizer gun inside, "This is not going to work." Scott told Garrett.

"All you have to do is stop the car." Garrett pointed to him, "I'll take care of the rest."

* * *

At Eichen House, one of the orderlies was trying to open Meredith Walker's room at Eichen House for Parrish, Landon, Allison, and Stiles, but a familiar face suddenly stopped him.

"Oh, no, not this guy." Stiles mumbled to herself. She hadn't forgotten about her treatment during her stay in the hellhole.

"What the hell are we running here?" Brunski, the head orderly questioned the group, "A bed and breakfast? We do not just open the door for anyone with a badge."

"We need to talk to Meredith Walker." Deputy Parrish told him with a tone of authority, "It involves a murder investigation."

"Well, you can talk to her all you want," Brunski easily complied with the deputy, "But these three," He motioned over at Landon, Allison and Stiles, "Especially that one..." He eyed Stiles, "They're outta here."

"They're crucial witnesses in an ongoing investigation." Deputy Parrish told him without missing a beat, "I wouldn't have brought them here if it wasn't absolutely... Crucial."

"Okay, Deputy. How about you come back with a court order, then I'll listen." The orderly demanded and then turned his attention towards Stiles who was trying to hide behind Allison.

"As for you, Ms. Stilinski, how about you come back with payment in full." He declared to her and Stiles looked highly off-guard and defenseless, "That's right. Daddy may be the Sheriff, but he's late on the bills." The orderly mocked at her, "I guess those government jobs aren't as reliable as they used to be, huh?" He cracked wisely at her.

However, Deputy Parrish came to her rescue, "But they do help when you need a favor." The deputy said shutting the orderly down, "Like, how a month ago, Canaan P.D. helped you get home after blowing 0.1 on a breathalyzer."

"No..." Stiles awed with some amusement that Deputy Parrish had one-uped the man.

"All right." Brunski said reluctantly, "I'm not against a little quid pro quo." He informed them as he opened the door to Meredith's room, "Not at all. Not at all." He told them and walked away. Allison a made face behind his back, while Landon eagerly gave him the middle finger.

"You." Stiles said as she patted Deputy Parrish on his shoulder, "You, I like you." She said with a smile, "I'm gonna keep you."

* * *

The sun had set, Garrett and Scott were still following the transport car, "There's a stop sign half a mile ahead." Garrett informed him.

"So I take out the tires with my claws?" Scott questioned him.

"Teeth, claws, heat vision, whatever." Garrett offered in a bored tone, "Just stop them. You ready?"

However, when Scott and Garrett see the Sheriff's vehicle ahead, it was rolled onto its side and two figures lying in the roadway, "Stop!" Scott yelled at Garrett, "Stop the car!" Garrett does stop and Scott quickly rushed to wreckage, "Dad!"

Agent McCall was unconscious and the sheriff is trying to pull him along the ground to the side of the road, "Scott..." The Sheriff said to him.

Garrett got his double bladed stick from the back seat and began advancing down the road toward the wreck.

"She's not in the car." Scott realized, "Violet's gone."

"Scott, listen to me." The Sheriff said pulling the Alpha close, "They're still here. They're still here."

A berserker raised from the shadows and Garrett was all and ready to take it on, "You want me?" He taunted at the berserker, "Come on. Come and get me." He told the figure as he swung around his double-bladed stick, "Come and get me. Yeah, that's right! You're not so big. You're not so big..."

Garrett was so focused one the berserker he wasn't not prepared as another berserker stepped into the road and skewered him through the chest with a sharp bone and lifted him off the ground. Garrett dropped his bladed stick and apparently died.

Scott ran to help, but he was hit from behind. As his world darkened just as he could hear the Sheriff call, "Scott!"

* * *

Just like before, Meredith wasn't giving them anything to go on, "Meredith, what you mean you can't tell us?" Allison asked her.

"We just need the third key." Stiles reasoned with her, "You can give it to us in numbers, letters, and hieroglyphs." She said listing many ways Meredith could tell them without actually telling them, "Whatever you want."

"I can't." Meredith said curled up into a ball.

"Then why did you give us the second key?" Landon questioned her slowly losing his patience.

"I wanted to help." Meredith told them, "That's what I want to do. I want to help."

"Great. So help us now." Landon told her as he leveled with her, "Okay? Give us the third cipher key."

"Things have  _changed_." Meredith whimpered to him, "I... I can't."

"Why not?" Allison urged at the Banshee.

"Guys, go easy on her." Deputy Parrish told them.

"I'm sorry." Meredith told them just as she was about ready to cry, "I can't. He... He doesn't want me to."

"He?" Stiles questioned, "Who's he?"

But Meredith doesn't answer Stiles so Landon gave it a shot, "Meredith, who doesn't want you to tell us the third cipher key?"

"The Benefactor." She told them. Landon turned his attention to Allison and Stiles.

* * *

Scott woke up on the exam table at the vet clinic. There was a large sharpened bone sticking from his side, "Hey, there." Deaton greeted him as he appeared by his side, "I was actually hoping you would be out for a few more minutes."

"Scott. This is going to hurt." Chris Argent said appearing on Scott's other side, he pulled out the bone as Scott roared in pain, "You all right?"

"Where's my dad and the Sheriff?" Scott asked them.

"They're at the hospital." Deaton informed him, "They're both doing fine. Hold this."

Scott took hold of the bandage as Deaton wrapped it around him, "It was Kate." Scott told them, "It was her and the Berserkers."

"We know. But they move fast." Chris told him, "And they don't leave much in the way of tracks."

"We have to find her." Scott pressed, "She's got Violet. I think Violet knows where Liam is."

"Then as much as this hurt," Deaton said holding up the bone knife, "It could probably also help."

* * *

Micah and Derek had no luck finding Satomi's pack, "Can you get a scent?" Derek asked the were-coyote.

Micah shook his head, "I'm sorry." Micah told him as they settled in Derek’s car.

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Derek assured him, "If they don't want to be found, then we're not going to find them." This earned him a puzzled look from Micah, "Some werewolves have an ability. A kind of mastery over their bodies where they can actually inhibit their scent."

"They can hide from other werewolves?" Micah questioned to him.

"From anyone who's trying to find them."

"So that's why nobody knew about Brett." Micah realized.

"Same with Demarco."

There was a moment of silence as they sat in Derek's car, "Maybe we need to try something different." Micah offered to him and this time Derek was the one who gave Micah a questioning look, "Maybe we need to think like Stiles."

"Like a hyperactive knucklehead?" Derek questioned, wondering just how much of Stiles rubbed off on him.

"Like a detective." Micah told him, "If they're really Buddhists, then maybe instead of asking where werewolves hide, we should be asking..."

"Where would Buddhists hide?" Derek finished finally getting at what Micah was saying, "When Buddha sat under the Bodhi tree, he looked to the east for enlightenment."

"Is there some kind of eastern point in Beacon Hills?" Micah asked him.

"Yeah." Derek said starting up his car, "At Lookout Point."

* * *

Liam was still struggling to climb out the well. He was halfway up when he felt himself slipping again, "No, no, no, no, no!" Liam chanted trying to grip onto the well better, but it doesn't work and he fell back into the water, "Come on!" He splashed angrily. He then remembered talking to Scott after the events at Landon's lake house.

**FLASHBACK**

Scott and Liam are the boathouse and there is glass glittering all over the deck, "You did that." Scott tells him, "You went right through it."

"I jumped through the window?" Liam asks with some disbelief. He even checks himself and doesn't see any marks on him.

"The cuts healed while you were changing." Scott explains to him.

"I guess that's one good thing." Liam comments.

"For you." Scott tells him, "For someone else it could be really bad." Scott reminds him, "We need to figure out how you can get a grip on this."

"I've been trying to do that for years." Liam tells him.

"What does your dad say?"

"He says when kids get angry they deal with it in one of two ways." Liam shares with him, "They either hurt themselves or they hurt someone else."

**END FLASHBACK**

Liam started back up the slippery rocks toward escape more determined than ever.


	12. Orphaned pt.2

At the station, the Keeper and the Messenger of the Dead were at a standstill, "What's his name?" The Reaper demanded to the Banshee, "You could just tell us his name."

The only thing Meredith was doing was shaking her head quickly and remained silent at Landon's assault.

"Okay, you're shaking your head." Stiles said, pulling the furious Reaper away from the Banshee, "What's that mean?" She asked gently, "Does that mean you don't know? Or you don't want to help us?"

"I can't..." Meredith repeated, once more pressing herself against the wall, "I can't help anymore."

"How do you know about him?" Allison asked trying a different approach.

Deputy Parrish could see the distress that Meredith was getting and he had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well, "Guys, I think we better stop." He advised them.

"Meredith," Landon said in a calm tone, "A lot of people are going to die if you don't tell us."

"I don't... I don't know." Meredith repeated close to breaking down, "I don't know."

"Please... Meredith, it's okay." Landon pleaded to her, "You're gonna be all right. Please."

"I don't... I don't... I don't know." Meredith continued to saying more agitated.

"Meredith." Stiles tried to the Banshee.

"I said, I don't know!" The Banshee yelled at them at a level that was loud enough to hurt their ears and just loud enough for Landon's ear to bleed.

* * *

Scott and Chris followed the berserker's scent to a warehouse. There was a faded sign that read, "Argent Arms International"

"You've been here before?" Scott asked him.

"I worked here." Chris shared with him, "We used to own the building. It was part of our business."

"I've fought these things before." Scott warned him, "They're strong. Really strong."

Chris retrieved a machine gun from the back seat of his SUV, "That's why I brought this."

"I'm good with that." Scott commented glad that he wasn't the target Argent was pointing it at...this time.

At Lookout Point, Micah made a face of disgust, "Micah?" Derek asked him noticing the face he was making.

"You don't  _smell_  that?" Micah questioned him as he suddenly bolted in a random direction.

"Wait for me." Derek told him, but Micah doesn't go any farther due to him coming to a sudden halt.

"Right here." Micah in a heavy tone. In front of them laid a dozen dead bodies.

Chris and Scott were just entering the warehouse when they ran into Kate, "You shouldn't have come." Kate told them.

"Kate." Scott said in a calm tone just as two berserkers appeared by her side, "I'm here for Violet. I need to talk to her."

"I knew you'd find me." Kate said not paying attention to Scott, but to her brother, "But... I was hoping we could do this later. I just needed a little more time."

"For what?" Chris questioned his sister.

"To learn _control_." Kate told him, "Lower the gun. We walk away. And you don't have to get hurt."

"Where's Violet?" Scott demanded, only to still be ignored.

"Put the gun down, Chris." Kate warned her brother.

"Where is she?" Scott demanded.

However, Kate transformed and the berserkers began to attack, "No!" Scott shouted just as Chris began firing at them.

"Stop!" Scott shouted at the male Argent, but Kate reached Chris and punched him. Scott found himself dealing with his own problem as he managed to dodge the berserkers while Chris got thrown through a table.

* * *

Derek and Micah were still looking at the sea of bodies before them, "What happened?" Micah asked him.

"I think they might have been poisoned." Derek said as he examined one of the bodies.

"That's great." Micah mumbled getting on edge, "If assassins with guns don't get you, then the ones with wolfsbane poison will." He said recounting all the attacks there have been, "Or maybe one with no mouth." He said looking at Derek, "Maybe we should  _all_  be running from Beacon Hills." Micah told him, backing away from the dead, "Running for our lives. As fast as we can."

As Derek turned to go, he heard someone move. He turned to see a hand in the air and rushed to find Braeden wounded and gasping.

* * *

Back at the Argent warehouse, Scott got knocked through a wall. Then picked up by a berserker again and was rammed through several more walls. Before he has a chance to recover from the assault, it came at him quickly and he was once again picked up and thrown through a wall into a room where he found Violet alone.

She was tied up to a chair, but her throat appeared to be slashed.

Chris Argent was severely beaten by the berserker and was now on the ground just as it was ready to deliver a killing blow, Kate appeared and shouted, "No!"

The berserker does stop and Kate and the two berserkers disappeared. Scott appeared by Chris' side and helped him up, "Scott..." Chris said in a wounded breath, "Scott. I'm sorry."

"I'm not going to find him." Scott said with some heavy dread.

"There's still time, Scott." Chris assured him, "There's still time."

"What if I'm not quick enough?"

"There's only one person who can get from place to place faster than you can." Chris told him.

* * *

With Stiles gone, Allison and Landon were in Landon's room trying to figure out the third key, "Okay, well, we know one thing." Allison told him, "Both of the first two keys, Erica and Boyd, they're both names of the dead. Right?"

"But we've already tried every other dead person's name we could think of." Landon reminded her with a tired sigh, "And if you haven't noticed, there were a lot of tries."

"Yeah, I noticed." Allison told him and she noticed the look of distress on her friend's face, "You okay?"

"The only other person, just like me, I've ever met." Landon said starting at his laptop, "And I think I might have just drove her over the edge."

"Landon, it wasn't your fault. I was there, too." Allison told him turning his computer chair towards, "And you're probably not the only..." Allison stopped in mid-sentence when a thought popped into her head, "Hold on. You both predict death. Right?" Landon nodded with assurance, "So what if the third key is someone who isn't dead..."

"But will be." Landon realized. Landon took a breath and concentrated with his eyes closed and started to type randomly, but when he was done and opened his eyes. The name on the screen he had typed out was DEREK. Allison and Landon exchanged worried glances just Landon pressed the enter key and the last piece of the list was revealed.

SATOMI ITO 10

MICAH HALE 4

LIAM DUNBAR 3

MEREDITH WALKER 1

LIZ MOORE 1

PATRICK CLARK 1

BREE LEVERETT 250

KAITLYN SCHAAR 250

GENEVIVE CARY 250

ANGELIQUE FAIN 250

LORILEE ROHR 250

BRITTANI KEGLEY 250

Landon didn't know which was more shocking first, but he quickly noticed that Meredith's name was on the list, "Call Parrish." He told Allison, "We need to call Parrish."

* * *

In the well, Liam was still climbing. He began to cough and his hands slipped a bit. He looked up and noticed the waning moon shining down on him from the mouth of the well. He shouted in frustration, but the cry transformed into a growl.

At the former Argent Arms International warehouse, Scott turned as if he heard something just as Stiles pulled up right in front of them, "I know where he is." He told her and without a word Stiles grabbed him by the hand and surrounded them both in a light of energy. Chris Argent noticed that instead of the normal blue light, Stiles had a yellow one.

Liam was slipping. He struggled just to hang on to the rock wall of the well. One hand slipped off and hung limp at his side. A few seconds, later his strength in the other slipped and he fell back.

At that moment an arm from above reached down and grabbed his hand. Both Stiles and Scott have arrived and pulled him to safety. Scott held him close, running his hand down Liam's head, "You're okay, Liam." Scott told his beta with relief, "You're okay."

* * *

Back in Landon's room, "What are you talking about?" Landon asked Deputy Parrish over the phone.

"Landon," He told him, "Meredith's gone. They found her an hour ago in her room. She hung herself. I'm sorry."

_Brunski removes a knotted bed sheet from around Meredith's neck._

Landon was stunned into silence just as Allison pulled him close to comfort him.

* * *

Dr. Deaton made an incision along Liam's chest. The yellow smoke drifted out and dissipated as it did before with Brett, "I don't want to keep watching people die." Scott said to Chris, Deaton, and Stiles. Stiles looked worriedly at her friend.

"Scotty, I'm not sure you have much choice about that." She told him. They had been through a lot of crap of the past year, but this was something that they never had faced before.

"Maybe I do." Scott told her.

"That's a lot of burden to carry, Scott." Deaton told him.

"I don't care. No one else dies." Scott said to them, "Everyone on that list. Everyone on that Dead Pool. It doesn't matter if they're wendigos, or werewolves, or whatever. I'm gonna save everyone." Scott looked over at his friend, who wore a proud smile on her face.

"I'm going to be right beside you." Stiles said confidently.

* * *

Back in Landon's room, Landon was still silent, "We have to tell her." Allison said to Landon quietly. If she thought things were getting rough now, she knew it was about to get rougher.

Landon looked blankly at Allison, "Tell who what?"

"Stiles." Allison pointed at Derek's name in the section where his name broke the code.

There was a moment of silence between the two, "The last time I told Stiles someone was about to die it resulted in her being stabbed with a sword."

"I know…" Allison remembered very clearly.

"And when Kali had threatened to go after Isaac…It wasn't a pretty sight." He continued remembering the frightening sight, "Just imagine how she'll react when she finds out Derek's next.”

"But we can't hide this from her." Allison pressed, "She's going to want to add this to the board."

Landon knew Allison was right, Stiles had a system going and so far that system seemed to work, at least where they could get all the clues together, "Then we give her a false name." Landon suggested and Allison looked at him wide-eyed, "With the way her spark has been lately. It’s our only safe shot. If we even remotely hint Derek’s death that could easily send her to a point where she'll destroy anything and everything until the threat is gone. Which is worst considering how we don't even know who exactly has the list or who exactly is the threat."

"And what about Micah?" Allison questioned him as she started pacing in his room, "He needs to know."

"There's a  _slight_  problem with that."

"How is that a problem?" Allison questioned him, "Derek has another family member that survived the fire."

"He is Peter's son."

Allison was shocked, "How do you know that?"

"Remember when we went to Peter for help during the Nogitsune?" Landon asked her, Allison gave him a head nod, "That wasn't the only thing Talia told me."

"Wait are you say…"

"Yes."

"Do the others know?"

"Yes."

"And Micah doesn't..."

"No." Landon confessed to Allison, "Right now we think it's best that way."

Allison sat beside Landon on his bed, "Okay." Allison said with a heavy sigh, "I slightly understand the Micah thing, but what about Stiles? What if she figures it out?"

"Let's just hope for once, that she doesn't."

* * *

Isaac and Scott were now in Scott's room, while Stiles went to retrieve her jeep, when Allison and Landon arrived and showed them the last piece of the dead pool.

"Are you serious?" Scott questioned them, upon seeing the keyword and Micah's real name.

"Yes," Allison told him worriedly, "We can't let Stiles or Micah see that list."

"How is that going to be possible?" Isaac asked them.

"As far as the Micah issue we can only hope that he doesn't see it," Landon told them, "However, I was able to alter the keyword and replace it with someone else's name."

Landon handed over the altered dead pool. Isaac took one look at the fake name, "Oh...ho.” He laughed nervously, “This is not going to end well."

"It couldn't just be anyone's name." Landon explained to them, "It would have to fit the pattern."

"Guys," Scott told them when he caught sight of the name that they were using, "This is a  _very_  bad idea."

* * *

Kate was washing blood from her face in a storm drain under the street when Peter appeared, "I suppose you're hiding down here because it'll cover your scent." He told her catching her attention, "But I can smell a rat. Even in a sewer." He noticed the trimmers through her body, "It's getting worse, isn't it? The surges of anger. The loss of control. You know, I used to get angry." Peter told her as Kate watched unimpressed, "As a kid, I would even break my own toys in little fits of rage. And then I asked myself, "Why break your own toys when you can break someone else's?""

"Stop pitching and just tell me what you want." Kate told him unimpressed.

"Obviously, we're in a position of mutually assured destruction." He told her.

"Oh, I'm not so sure the scales are that balanced." Kate told him as she indicated the berserkers that were waiting behind her.

"Probably true." Peter agreed easily, "But... I know you want to get the family back together again." He told her with a smile, "The return of the Argents to their glorious power. Am I right? But you know, you can't go back unless you can exhibit absolute and total control. I can offer control. I can teach you."

"So, you're willing to teach me in order to get what you want." Kate said still not impressed with Peter's antics, "Which is what?"

"Obviously, I want my money back."

"Mmm-mmm." Kate sounded narrowing her eyes at him, "That's not it. Maybe part of it." She informing him she wasn't buying anything he was saying, "But that's not all you want."

"I need the money. Yes." Peter confessed as he walked closer to her, "But I'll admit, money only gets you so far. What I want is what I've always wanted." He said as he leaned into her ear he whispered, "Power."

* * *

When Stiles finally arrived the McCall residence Allison and Landon were already gone, Scott handed her the third piece of the dead pool list that had been altered.

"How is that possible?" She questioned them while she stared at the name.

"We're not exactly sure." Scott told her, "Allison and Landon went on a whim and it worked."

"So the quicker we can figure out the dead pool business." Isaac told her calmly, "Chance of death is not likely."

Stiles looked between the werewolves trying to process what was happening, "You counted it yet?" She asked them looking at the duffle bag that laid on the ground.

"No."

"We should probably count it." She told them calmly as she sat cross-legged on the floor. Isaac and Scott exchanged worried glances, but followed suit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> Melissa McCall exited the elevator at the hospital on a mission. She walked past a blond girl sitting in a chair in the hall who had been crying softly. She opened the door to Braeden's room and quickly started to inject something into her IV.
> 
> "What's that?" Derek questioned her.
> 
> "Naloxone." Melissa said as she pushed down the syringe, "We need to wake her up."
> 
> "I thought you said she needed to rest."
> 
> "That was before I found out the CDC just put the high school under quarantine with Isaac, Scott and Stiles still in there." Melissa told him.
> 
> "I need to get to the school." Derek said rushing his way out the room, but Melissa held him back.
> 
> "No one is getting in or out of the school," She told him slowly, "The best we can do now is wake up Braeden and find out what the hell is going on."
> 
> XXXX
> 
> Stiles was banging on the outside door of the Hale vault, "Hey, Scott? Scotty?" She cried out in a panic, "In the vault, in there with you. It's called reishi mushrooms." But she doesn't get answer. On the inside of the vault Scott was leaning on the vault door, "Scott? Scott, open the door!" She demanded and started to pound onto the door, "It's in there with you. It's in a jar, it's on one of the shelves." But again she heard nothing.
> 
> Now focusing on her power Stiles attempted materialize her way through, but realized she couldn't so she next the next best thing. She focused on trying conjure up enough force just to open the door, but couldn't. It dawned on her in that exact moment that the infection was now causing her not to be able to use her power, even though the red markings were still visible, "Scott!" She cried out and started to pound on the door once more, "Scott, can you hear me?" But she heard nothing and Stiles released a broken scream.


	13. Weaponized pt.1

In a disclosed location, a small plastic quarantine tent sat within in a larger tented laboratory. The small tent was surrounded by a circle of powdered Mountain Ash. There was growling coming from within.

A lab coated middle aged man entered, placed himself at a work table, and began making notations. He has a cup of tea while inside the smaller tent was a werewolf, oozing black goo from his eyes and mouth, reached out feebly with a clawed hand.

It appeared that was his body was having some kind of reaction. The lab coat man pressed play on a cassette player and a voice filled the room, "After entering the IP address, you will be connected through a Darknet portal to an untraceable bank. Once logged in, enter your account number to receive wire transfers. The IP address…"

* * *

Isaac, Scott, and Stiles were listening to the same voice in Scott's room, "…Will deactivate with each transfer. You will be assigned a new IP address if you choose to continue down the list. Remember, visual confirmation is  _always_  required for payment."

Stiles pressed the stop button on the tape recorder, "You ever made a wire transfer?" She asked Scott. They were all sitting cross-legged on the floor.

"Never had enough money."

"So you didn't understand a word of that either?" Isaac concluded.

"I don't understand any of this." Scott admitted, "Why would someone use all this money just to kill us?"

"Someone wants you dead, dude.  _Badly_." Stiles pointed out just as Scott picked up the money and began to stow it under the bed, "Whoa, whoa, what are you doing?"

"It's late." Scott responded while still pushing the bag under the bed, "We've got the PSATs in the morning."

"No, I meant the money. $500,000." She stated wacking Scott on his shoulder, "You know how much money that is?"

"It's 500,000..."

"It's  _half_  a million dollars, Scott." She pointed to him, "What are you going to do, just _slide_ it under your mattress?"

"I have to talk to Derek." Scott told her, "The money's his."

"You mean his and Peter's."

"What does that mean?"

"It means maybe we should proceed with caution."

"You don't think we should tell Derek?" Isaac realized.

"No. No." Stiles sighed, "No, of course we have to tell him." She said to them, "I'm just... I'm just saying, some of that money's Peter's, right?"

"Yeah."

"Right? Peter." Stiles expressed, " _Homicidal_  killer? Remember? You want to give $500,000 to him."

"So we should give Derek his money back." Isaac said trying to grip as to what Stiles was saying, "But not Peter?"

"She exactly didn't say that." Scott realized, "Stiles, what are you saying?"

But they all get interrupted when Micah suddenly came busting into Scott's room. This time he actually used the door and it practically falls on its hinge.

"Nice use of the door," Stiles told him, as she hid the third piece of the dead pool in her jacket pocket, "How about we try to avoid breaking it?"

"We found Satomi's pack." Micah told them excitedly, "Derek and I. But they're dead."

"All of them?" Scott questioned.

"All the ones we found."

"Then where's Derek?" Isaac asked.

"He's at the hospital," Stiles answered automatically as she concentrated on the link. She was only getting bits and pieces of what Derek was saying, "Something happened to Braeden."

* * *

Derek arrived at Beacon Hills Hospital carrying Braeden. Melissa McCall quickly ordered for someone to get her a cart as she assessed Braeden, "She's been shot." Derek told her.

"She seems to be okay," Melissa told him, making sure the mercenary had no other injuries "But she does need to rest."

Braeden had finally been settled into a room, "I assume you told Stiles to focus on the test tomorrow and not on this?" Melissa asked Derek. They were now at the nurse's station.

"Of course I did," Derek said with a heavy sigh, "Doesn't mean she'll actually listen."

"From what I hear she's doing pretty well with the other situation."

"She gave the Scout's honor." To his surprise, Melissa looked like she was trying to hold back a laugh, "She never was a scout, was she?"

"Nope." Melissa spilled this time smiling a bit, "Well...she was for like a day...until she bit the trooper leader."

* * *

Outside the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic Dr. Deaton was locking up when he sensed someone behind him. He whipped out a telescopic baton weapon and turned to swings at a hooded foe. They ducked and attack with what appeared to be a foot-long metal spike. After a few parries and thrusts, Deaton stopped and gave them a bow, "You could have called," Deaton told them, "Satomi- san."

Under the hood was Satomi, the bitten werewolf that Noshiko had told Scott and Kira about, with her eyes glowing red.

* * *

That Saturday morning Scott, Kira, Micah, Isaac and Stiles found themselves at school for the PSATs, "Where's Landon?" Kira questioned as they walked through the parking lot of the school.

"He took it his freshman year." Stiles answered.

"Same with Allison." Scott included.

"Does that mean I could have taken it some other time?" Micah wondered.

"Micah, you studied harder for this than any of us." Scott pointed out to him.

"Doesn't mean I'm gonna do good." Micah countered.

"Well..." Isaac corrected carefully.

"Well, what?" Micah questioned not catching the subtle hint.

"It's do well," Stiles informed him, "Not good."

"Oh, God!" Micah freaked and was about ready to turn back when Stiles and Isaac forced him back into the direction of the building, "Okay, okay." He told them reluctantly.

"You're doing this, because while we're trying not to die, we still need to live." Scott told him, "If I survive high school, I'd like to go to college. A good college." He told the pack.

"It's only three hours." Stiles told them, "I survived being possessed by an evil fox spirit for a month."

"I survived being locked up in a freezer for most my childhood." Isaac inputted.

"Only three hours." Kira repeated trying to be positive, "We can totally survive for three."

* * *

Once they got inside their respected classroom, each student was required to place their fingerprint on their answer sheet. The security measure was an effort to keep students from paying others to take the test for them. Scott pressed his thumb into the provided ink pad and applied it to the paper.

He was then handed a booklet by teacher who happened to be the same man from the lab. They were also required to give up their cell phones for the duration of the test. Natalie Martin (Landon's mom) took each phone and placed it in an individual, numbered, envelope.

Stiles had already opened up her booklet, "Please do not open the test booklet until you are instructed to do so." The man, Simon apparently, instructed them, but Stiles didn't miss how he looked at her in particular. She closed the booklet without a word, "This test is two hours and 10 minutes. There will be two 25-minute critical reading sections, two 25-minute math sections and an essay writing portion that will last 30 minutes." He informed the class. He turned his attention toward Natalie, "There are supposed to be two teachers monitoring this exam." He informed her.

"I know. It's Coach. He's not exactly punctual." She told as she pulled out her phone, "Um, let me just try him again."

She stepped into the hall to try to call him again, only she noticed his office door at the end of the hall and decided to check there. When she opened his office door she found Coach Finstock passed out on his desk.

"Oh, no." She mumbled as she closed the door and made her way to him, "Hey, get up." She whispered to him. The only response she got was him groaning, "Hey. Oh, Bobby." She said with disappointment when he doesn't respond, "15 years sober and you fall off the wagon at school?" She gently smacked him on the face, but had no such luck of getting a response, "Forget it. I'll bring you some coffee during one of the breaks. 15 years, Bobby." She chastised the man.

* * *

"I can't find him," She told Simon, when she returned to the classroom, "But Mr. Yukimura is upstairs grading papers. Do you want me to try him?"

"We have to start." He informed her, "We can ask for his assistance during the first break." He suggested, before turning his attention to the class, "You may now open your test booklets and begin." He told the class.

Scott and Kira seemed to know the answers and were quickly filling in the bubbles on their answer sheet. Both Isaac and Stiles seemed surprised by one of the questions, while Micah seemed stumped by the whole process. It was quiet at first when a girl sitting over one row and behind Stiles suddenly collapsed to the floor.

"Sydney!" Natalie asked rushing over to the girl's side, "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay." Sydney assured her in a daze from the floor, "I just got kind of dizzy."

When Ms. Martin had helped her up she noticed a pattern of red and white welts developed on the girl's arm, "Sydney, how long have you had this?"

"I don't know." Sydney told her confused at the rash on her as well, "Ms. Martin, do I need to stop the test?"

"No, um, it's fine. Everybody stay in your seats." She told the class, "I'll, um, be back in a minute. Nobody leaves the room." She told Simon. She pulled out her phone and walked out into the hall once more.

She immediately headed to Coach's office and checked his wrists. There was visible no rash on his arms. She then lifted his shirt and found his back was covered with large red and white welts.

She stepped back into the hall and seeing several students entering the school from the opposite end of the hall, "Get back! No! Do not come in here!" She quickly pushed them back out, "Get back outside!" She told them as she locked the doors behind her.

Hearing the commotion in the hall, the students taking the PSAT, including Scott, rushed outside, "Back to your seats." She told them. Once the students went back into the classroom, "I need the number of the CDC." She told the operator on the phone, "Yes, the Center for Disease Control."

Thanks to his enhanced-hearing Scott could hear the entire conversation.

* * *

Within the hour, agents of the CDC, dressed head to toe in yellow bio-hazard suits, entered the school. They proceed to set up a quarantine area in one of the larger classrooms. They have two rows of beds. Each was covered by a clear plastic tent.

The outside of the school was also covered in clear plastic when Sheriff Stilinski arrived on outside the school. He noticed that bio-suited men and women are rushing back and forth, "Excuse me." He asked one of the workers, "Can anyone tell me what we're dealing with here?"

"Hopefully a false alarm." The worker told him, "The details provided have concerned us and your local health authorities enough to order a quarantine. We're going to need your help ensuring that no one gets in or out of the school."

"My daughter is in there."

"Is this gonna be a conflict for you?" The worker questioned him.

"Conflict? No." He told them, "Stressful? Yeah." He looked at the large tent surrounding the school, "All right. What happens now?"

Back inside Ms. Martin was tending to Sydney, who had been separated from the rest of class, while she explained to Scott what was going on, "We isolate the sick and then we wait for instructions." She explained to him, "If I'm wrong, they'll be out of here pretty quickly, and then I'm the crazy biology teacher who panicked for nothing."

Sydney then started to panic and Scott was quick rush to her aide, "Hey. You're gonna be okay."

"It's not that." She told him, "The PSATs, the qualifying tests for the National Merit Scholarship. My parents can't afford to send me to college without it." She said with a heavy breath.

"Well, I'm sure they'll let you take it again." Scott assured her.

* * *

On the other side of the classroom, Stiles, Isaac, Kira and Micah were looking outside the window at the commotion going on outside, "Bet they're thinking smallpox." Stiles told them.

"Not likely." Simon told her, clearly he had been ease dropping, "Smallpox was eradicated worldwide in 1979. We've only managed to completely eradicate two viruses in history. The other was rinderpest. It killed cows."

"So we should be comforted by that, right?" Isaac asked him.

"Unless it's something  _worse_." The Chemist told them.

Micah used his enhanced hearing was able to pick-up some radio chatter, "Whatever it is, they're taking it pretty seriously." Micah told them, "There a lot of cars and trucks out there."

He then picked up the sound of the Sheriff's voice saying, "We're doing the best we can."

"Your dad's with them." Isaac told Stiles as he too was using his enhanced hearing.

"I should probably call him." Stiles said as she reached for her phone.

"Don't bother." The teacher said to them, "They would have shut off any access to all outside communication by now. No cell service, no WiFi. No one starting a panic. Looks like we're all just going to have to wait here and see what happens."

* * *

Satomi and Deaton brought one of her sick male Betas into the animal clinic, "How does it begin?" Deaton questioned.

"With fever." She started out, "Then shifting becomes  _uncontrollable_. Fangs, claws, even full,  _unwarranted_  transformations." She told as she remembered seeing her betas sudden changes, "We moved into the woods when that began. Then it progressed faster and faster. They couldn't stand. But worse than that was this sudden blindness."

"Total?"

"They couldn't see a thing." She said quietly, "From there, they had only a few minutes left."

Deaton released a heavy sigh, "I'm going to be honest, Satomi. We need to get him to a hospital."

"That's never really been an option for our  _kind_." She pointed out to him, "Unless you know something I don't."

"Not something, but _someone_."

* * *

Melissa McCall exited the elevator at the hospital on a mission. She walked past a blond girl sitting in a chair in the hall who had been crying softly and opened the door to Braeden's room and quickly started to inject something into her IV.

"What's that?" Derek questioned her.

"Naloxone." Melissa said as she pushed down the syringe, "We need to wake her up."

"I thought you said she needed to rest."

"That was  _before_  I found out the CDC just put the high school under quarantine with Isaac, Scott and Stiles still in there." Melissa told him.

"I need to get to the school." Derek said rushing his way out the room, but Melissa held him back.

"No one is getting in or out of the school," She told him slowly, "The best we can do now is wake up Braeden and find out what the hell is going on."

After, Melissa had finished with the injection, Braeden jerked up awake and Melissa gently pushed her back down onto the bed, "Braeden, look at me." She informed her, "You were shot, but you're in the hospital now and you're fine. Do you understand?" Braeden gave her a nod, "Good. Okay. Last night you were in the woods and you came across another pack?" She questioned the mercenary, "Do you know what happened to them?"

"I told you, they were poisoned." Derek told Melissa.

"No. No, they were  _infected."_  Braeden corrected him, "It was a virus  _designed_  to kill werewolves. And it did. It killed them  _all_."

_Back at the school, Natalie was knocking on the locker room door. Scott was inside and could no longer control his shift. His eyes were glowing red and his fangs were out, but Scott felt that he had more fangs than usual._

* * *

Meanwhile, Allison and Landon have returned to the white room in Landon's Grandmother's lake house with a box of Meredith Walker's positions from Eichen House. They laid them item out on the white carpet. First, a nearly empty bottle of perfume with an old style atomizer bulb attached. Then a dried bouquet of flowers tied with a pink ribbon followed by a stuffed dog attached to a photograph.

Silently, Landon started up the red record player and while the static flows from the speakers, "All right, Meredith. I'm not sure how to do this. I'm not a psychic. And apparently I'm not much of a Reaper either." He said quietly. Allison sat on the floor by his side in silence, "But Allison and I  _trying_  to help our friends. I don't know if you can hear me." He said aloud, "Or, uh, what I'm supposed to ask you. But if I have this  _thing_ , it works some of the time." He said with a crack in his voice, Allison placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him a weak smile.

"It's gotta help  _someone_. Maybe what I really wanted to say was... I'm sorry. I wish I could have helped you. I'm sorry." Landon said.

Allison wasn't surprised with what happened next, Landon snatched the needle from the record and began stuffing Meredith's belongings back in the box clearly frustrated. Wordlessly, Allison gripped Landon into a hug as her friend released small sobs into her shoulder.

"Thanks." Landon told her as he wiped off his face.

Allison told him, "You don't have to thank me."

Landon gave her a meek smile and started to pick up the remaining items. When he got a hold of stuffed dog, he noticed the photograph stuck to it. Something about it looked familiar, Landon stared at the image and realized that the picture of Meredith was taken in the same room where he and Allison were in now.

The black and white image shown the edge of the record player, the wall outlet and one of the sconces inside the white room in his grandmother's lake house.

* * *

 _Mr. Yukimura had entered the locker room, where Scott was now groaning in pain and was also partially transformed, "Get Stiles." Scott managed to get out_.

The CDC was taking blood from each student. In line waiting for their turn, Micah noticed that Scott, Stiles, and Isaac were missing, "Kira, do you ever get the feeling that Isaac, Scott and Stiles aren't telling you everything?" Micah asked.

"What do you mean?" Kira asked.

"Like they hide stuff."

"I think if they did, they'd probably have a pretty good reason." Kira assured him.

"Do you know what they're hiding in the bag under Scott's bed?" Micah asked.

"I wasn't aware of anything like that," Kira answered honestly, "Maybe Allison knows."

It was now Kira's turn, but Kira was nervous about it, "I don't like needles either." The C.D.C Doctor told her, "I promise, it'll be fast."

Just as the doctor was about to start the procedure, lightening shot up the needle and burns the CDC worker's hazmat suit. Other workers rushed her outside and Micah rushed Kira away from the other students.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski had noticed the wave of people escorting the doctor out and rushed his way over, "What happened in there?"

"I don't know, must have been static electricity." The CDC Doctor informed him.

"Any breach of the interior layer, doctor?" One of the colleagues asked.

"It's okay, it just broke the top layer." She informed them.

Agent McCall was on the site as well and made his way over to them, "Any verdict on what we're dealing with yet?" He asked her, but the doctor gave him a pointed look, "My son's in there."

"Your son and his daughter." She indicated at the Sheriff, "Great. You can debrief each other." She told them, before walking off.

"I heard smallpox." Agent McCall told the Sheriff, "Any truth to that?"

"You want my opinion?" Sheriff Stilinski told him, "I don't think the Orphans were the only professional killers in Beacon Hills."

* * *

The pack had finally managed to meet up in the locker room. Isaac's eyes were now glowing the Beta Yellow while Scott's eyes kept glowing from the Alpha Red to back to normal, "It's still happening." Mr. Yukimura noticed when he looked at Micah's hands. His claws were retracted.

"I can't make them go back." Micah told him as he focused on trying to get them back to normal.

"Obviously the virus is affecting the three of you in a way it won't hit any human being." He realized.

"You guys have to stay out of sight." Stiles spoke up, "We have to quarantine you from the quarantine."

"Yeah, but where?" Kira asked him, "I mean, what if they get  _violent_? Like on a full moon."

"We shouldn't stay in here." Scott told them, "Not in the locker room."

"A classroom is not going to hold us, either," Isaac pointed out as he fought to get his eyes back to normal.

"What about the basement?" Kira offered.

"Too many ways out." Scott told her, "We need something  _secure_. Somewhere nobody can find us."

"The vault." Isaac offered.

"The Hale vault." Stiles agreed, "The Hales always have an escape route." She remembered, "Like their house. There has to be another way in."

Not a second too soon, Stiles and Mr. Yukimura were looking at the blueprints of the school, "This is where the school sign is," She told him, "So the vault's got to be right about here."

"I suppose if there's a second entrance," He implied, "It would probably be accessible from the basement."

Stiles looked over the blueprints and noticed a dead end on the map, "It's probably somewhere in this hallway." She shared, pointing at the area, "West corridor."

For a moment, Stiles collapsed, but managed to recover quickly, "Whoa." She commented when she caught sight of her hand. She was now producing the signs of the infection as well. Not to mention the red markings were running down her arm. Stiles quickly covered up her arms with her jacket.

"It's happening to you too." Mr. Yukimura told her, "You're getting sick. You all are."

"I don't feel sick." Kira told her father.

Mr. Yukimura gave her a heavy look, "I think it's affecting you differently, neurologically." He pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket, "I found your test answers here in a pile with the others."

On the Kira's answer sheet, and it looked like she tried to fill in the bubbles, but kept missing them. Her marks were all over the page.

* * *

They managed to get down to the basement without being detected, "Hey, guys... Over here." Stiles told them as she looked around, she found the triple spiral of a triskelion carved into the way with a familiar metal grate in the center, "Look at the cracks in the wall. It's like the entrance outside, it only opens with claws. Anyone's claws, right?"

Scott and Stiles did their nonverbal communication routine, resulting in Scott shaking his head and Stiles subtly nodding hers as Scott ignored it, "Um... Micah, can you try?" Scott suggested.

"Why me?"

"I don't have control and you already have your claws out."

"Okay. I'll do it." Micah told him, "But first tell me what you've been hiding from me." He looked over at Stiles, "Both of you." Scott and Stiles both looked at each other for signs for help, but neither one of them were ready to tell Micah the truth just yet, "I know you think you're trying to protect me, but I can handle it." He assured them, "I know I'm on the list."

"Yes..." Stiles told him.

"So how much?"

"How much what?" Stiles countered.

"How much am I worth?"

"Four million." Scott told him.

Micah looked at them with a look Stiles couldn't exactly read, "Are you okay?" Stiles asked carefully.

"Yeah." Micah answered completely unbothered, "Scott's worth 25, Kira, 6. They'll take you guys out way before me."

"Well, that's one way to look at it." Isaac commented as Micah inserted his claws in the wall grate and gave it a twist.

Light came from the door lock as the mechanism receded into the wall and the door opened. The five entered the vault and door closed behind them.

* * *

Melissa was helping Deaton with Satomi's sick beta. They were both wearing masks and surgical suits. He was now vomiting black goo. Seeing what was happening Melissa started to worry about something else, "This isn't happening at the school, is it?" She asked him.

"School?" Deaton question confused by Melissa's question, "It's Saturday."

"They're taking the PSATs."

"I think we need to hurry." Deaton told them.

However, when the elevator dinged as it opened, the beta released a choked sound right before he died. Satomi cried and Deaton pulled her into a hug for comfort.

* * *

Back in the vault, Scott was sitting quietly on the ground as Stiles had Isaac in her lap and Micah on her shoulder, "You know, this is where it all started." Isaac told them as Kira was pacing around the vault, he pointed over the empty safe, "That's where the money was. 117 million in bearer bonds."

Stiles had started to feel effects the infection had on her powers as they showed. Right now only a few things in the vault were floating in the air, but Stiles focused on remaining calm so things couldn't get any worse. On the bright side, the shade of the red hadn't changed.

"How do you even change bearer bonds into cash?" Kira asked him. She placed a jar that was hovering in the air back down, "Are you sure you're going to be okay?" She asked worriedly to Stiles.

Stiles gave her a head nod, "Bank, I guess." Stiles answered while she rubbed her hand through Isaac's hair, "They just let it sit here the whole time collecting dust." She indicated at the jar now hovering again. "You know bearer bonds are basically extinct?"

"Why does it matter?"

"You know how many problems that money could solve?"

"For you?"

"Me." She agreed, "My dad...The Eichen House and MRI bills are crushing him." She said quietly.

"Melissa does this thing, she writes down all the items in our budget," Isaac told them and Scott looked up in surprise, "How much they cost, then she adds them all up and figures out how long we have until…We lose the house."

Landon and Allison both arrived to the school as the night had fallen, but they were cut off by the police line. Looking around frantically, Allison finally caught site of the Sheriff, "Sheriff!" She tried as she attempted to get through the line, "Sheriff!"

Sheriff Stilinski made his over to them and gesturing the attending deputy to let them through.

"My mom's in there." Landon said out of breath, "What's happening?"

"We're working on it." The Sheriff told him.

* * *

"Anything?" Scott asked Stiles. Ever since they had been in the vault, Stiles had been trying to reach out to Derek, but so far she hadn't gotten anything. She was starting to think that it was another side effect of the infection.

"Nothing," Stiles reported to him, "What about you?"

Scott and Stiles stood near the entrance of the door as Scott listened through it, "They're looking for us. Someone's going to have to go out there."

The best friends looked back into the vault and saw Isaac, Micah, and Kira huddled up on the floor, "We need to tell him. We need to tell him that Peter is his father." Scott whispered to Stiles, "He's going to see the rest of the dead pool eventually."

"You're right," Stiles told him, "But there's a _slight_ problem with that. Try to remember that aside from Isaac, Peter is the one name  _missing_  on that list." She reminded him, "Which either makes him incredibly lucky with a benefactor and Micah finds out and runs to him," Stiles pointed out, "And knowing Peter, he's going to  _twist_  his way into his head like he does with everyone. Including  _us_."

"But he's helped us out before, remember?"

"Okay, so he helped us fight the Oni and helped get me out of my subconscious, kudos for him." Stiles whispered agitated, around them the lights flickered and Stiles had to take a calming breath before she continued, "We let him walk around like nothing ever happened, like he's one of the good guys... Scott, he's  _not_  one of the good guys." She empathized, "If Micah finds out about him, he's gone. That's probably what he's waiting for and if he wins, we lose."

"We're already losing." Scott told her sadly.

* * *

Doctor Deaton had performed a craniotomy on Satomi's dead beta, "I think I know what this is." He told Melissa and Satomi, "Unfortunately, if I'm right, and Scott and the rest are infected, it's not good." Melissa gave him a worried look, "They're going to die without an antidote."

* * *

Stiles leaned over Isaac and Micah as they were sleeping on the floor, "Micah," Stiles whispered softly, "Isaac."

"Mmm." Isaac responded as he tried to awake from his sleep. She placed her jacket on top of them.

"I gotta leave for a few, okay?" She told them calmly.

"Where are you going?" Micah as he and Isaac both sit up.

"Whatever's happening, it's  _worse_  for you guys." She told them, "That means it's not just people getting sick, it's another assassin."

"You're not going out there." Isaac told her in a weak voice, "You have the markings all over your arm and obviously have no full control of your powers."

"Don't fight me on this baby beta," Stiles said sternly, "If it's to help you guys I'm going to do whatever is necessary."

Isaac stared at her for a moment, "Just be careful." He finally caved.

Stiles gave him a nod and got up from them, "You're coming back, right?" Micah asked weakly.

"Yeah," Stiles said strongly as she took one last look at her friends weakening before her eyes, "I'd  _never_  leave any of you behind."

Wordlessly, Stiles opened the vault and walked out. The moment she stepped out the stone door and it scrapped closed, she proceeded down the hall as the lights in the hall basement flickered. Stiles stopped briefly and looked around before pulling up the sleeve of her shirt. On her left arm, the shade of red was now getting darker.

 

 


	14. Weaponized pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Tyler H. isn't a season regular on TW season 5. I've decided that this is the LAST season for Hellmouth. Everything will be wrapped up accordingly and hopefully there will be no loose ends because those suck.

Derek was now pacing in Braeden's hospital room, he too had been trying to reach Stiles, but just like Stiles he wasn’t getting anything. He wasn't sure if it was because of what Kate had done to him or if Stiles had simply broke off the link again or if something was actually happening at the school.

In her hospital bed, Braeden was watching Derek packing and slowly was getting more annoyed, "Sit down," Braeden ordered him, "Your constant pacing is starting to get on my nerves."

"I don't like being told what to do."

"And I don't like people pacing around me," Braeden snapped back at him, "Melissa said it could be a false alarm. Relax."

"I can't." He gritted out.

"You getting something from Stiles?"

"No and that's exactly the problem."

In that moment, Melissa arrived to the room, "Derek. I think there's someone here you've been trying to find."

Derek looked at her confused until Satomi walked into the room.

* * *

The Sheriff, Allison and Landon were still outside the school. The Sheriff was too pacing back and forth while Landon and Allison looked at the tent worriedly, "Landon..." The Sheriff said getting his attention, "As all this is still very new to me, and I don't know how it works, I still have to ask. Do you have any kind of...indication?" He asked desperately, "Any kind of feeling about this? Is someone in there going to die?"

"Yes." Landon said strongly. "And it's not just a feeling."

On the way back from the lake house, Landon had released a Reaper scream.

* * *

Deaton explained to the adults what was going on, "It's a variant of canine distemper." He told them, "A few years ago, an outbreak in Yellowstone killed 40% of the wolf population."

"What's it going to do to  _our_  wolf population?" Melissa asked worriedly.

"Well, it's been altered to infect quite a bit faster." Deaton explained to them.

"You mean it's been  _weaponized_?" Derek realized, "Which is probably why Stiles and I can't communicate." He at least hoped that was the reason.

"It infected my whole pack." Satomi said gravely.

"Everyone except for you." Deaton pointed out, "That's the real question. Did you not get infected? Or are you immune?"

* * *

Stiles had managed to keep her power in check by time she made it to the CDC's triage area. Natalie noticed Stiles walking and noticed how pale and sweaty Stiles appeared to be and the red lines that were now running down her neck, "Stiles, you're not looking so good, maybe you ought to lie down." She told her with some concern.

"I'm okay," Stiles assured her, "Have you seen Mr. Yukimura?"

"Yeah, he's fine," Ms. Martin led her to bed and forced her to lay down, "He's helping the other students."

"Okay." She said with some relief, but just cross the way she spotted Coach Finstock in one of the beds, "Is Coach the only adult who got sick today?" She asked quickly getting up.

"As far as I know." Natalie told her, looking over at the unconscious man.

"Why is he..." She asked right before she felt herself raise off the bed and move just a bit before crashing into the ground.

"Stiles?" Natalie asked now even more concerned when she spotted Stiles on the floor, "I think you should back lie down."

Stiles shook her head as Ms. Martin helped her up, "Yeah, no, it's okay." She assured her, "I'll be back, I'll be right back." She said as she headed off once again.

* * *

At the hospital, "If your pack was infected, then who was doing all the shooting at the entrance to the woods?" Deaton asked Satomi.

"Apparently another assassin." Satomi shared with them, "Personally, I'd rather face a gun than a variant of smallpox."

"Sounds like you're going to get plenty of chances." Melissa commented.

When Derek looked over at Satomi he realized that the woman had been staring at him, "Sorry." The Alpha apologized, "I just noticed how much you remind me of Talia. I used to visit her a lot, you know. Do you remember me?"

Derek gave a small smile, "I remember the tea." He told her, "You always brought that tea that smelled _terrible_."

"I brought that tea as a  _gift_." She said with a smile of her own, "Your mother loved it."

"What kind of tea?" Deaton asked suddenly.

"What?"

"The tea with the smell," Deaton pressed, "What kind was it?"

"Reishi." She said with certainty, "Wild purple reishi. It's very rare."

"It's also a very  _powerful_  remedy for sickness." Deaton explained to the confused looks in the room, "Satomi, you didn't get infected because you've been inoculated."

"Okay, okay." Melissa said with hope now that they found a possible cure, "How rare is it? Can we find it? "

"We don't have to." Derek said with confidence, "My mother kept some of it. It's in our vault. Someone needs to get to the school."

"Can't you just link with Stiles and tell her?"

"Not if she's infected as well."

"If that's the case someone needs to get there quickly," Deaton told them, "Because even though it may not kill her. It'll definitely tamper with her ability to control her power."

* * *

In the vault, the jar Kira had settled down earlier was filled with the cure that they needed. Micah and Isaac were now hunched over the floor. Scott looked over and noticed that Micah was holding onto a piece of paper that he had found in Stiles' jacket.

"Micah?" Scott questioned when he saw a confused expression fall upon the werecoyote's face.

Micah released a heavy breath, "I can't see." Micah spoke aloud, "I can't see anything."

Just before Isaac lost his eyesight, he realized that Micah had been holding onto the altered third piece of the dead pool, "That makes two of us."

"Make that three." Scott told just before his vision went dark.

* * *

Stiles was tearing through the coach's office looking for something that might have caused him to become ill. Unfortunately, she found nothing, but does noticed a stack of Permission Slip/Liability Release Forms.

The top few were stamped with "APPROVED" in red but midway through, the color had become fainter and fainter until coach changed to black ink.

Stiles eyes fell onto black ink fingerprints on a coffee mug and remembered how each student had to ink their thumbs before taking the PSAT.

Then it dawned her that the ink pad was the source of the outbreak just as "The Chemist" stepped into the room with a hand gun aimed right at her.

* * *

Meanwhile, Coach woke up in the isolation area, "What the hell is going on?" Coach demanded, looking around the sealed off area.

"The lesions are gone." Natalie realized as she looked at Sydney's arm.

"Can I take the test again now?" Sydney asked.

The rash that had appeared on her arm was now gone, "They're getting better." Natalie announced with relief, "They're all getting better."

* * *

Stiles was now in the locker room with the Chemist right behind her, "I was wondering how that idiot got sick." He told her, Stiles turned to face him. He still had the gun pointed at her, "I'm also wondering where your friends are. Since in order to get paid by the benefactor, I need to have proof they're dead."

"Visual confirmation." Stiles said without a hint of fear in her voice.

"Exactly."

All though it appeared that all the normal students of Beacon Hills High were somehow recovering, the supernatural students who were still in the vault were not doing so well.

"What's happening to us?" Micah asked. He was feeling worse and worse by the second.

"I can't..." Kira's voice filled the air, "I can't see..." She said patting against one of the walls. And Scott was struggling to stand as his eye glowed the Alpha Red.

* * *

"Still a bit feverish, Ms. Stilinski." The Chemist noticed the shaking of Stiles' body, "But you should know something, the virus doesn't kill humans, you'll get better." He assured her with an evil smile, "So don't you think you should tell me where they are? Shouldn't one of you get to live?"

"I think I saw them in the library." Stiles said easily, "Or it might've been the cafeteria." She feigned ignorance, "It was definitely one of those two." She told him nodding her head.

The Chemist was not amused by Stiles antics, "I'm going to count to three, and then I'm going to kill you."

"Think you can scare me?" She challenged him, eyeing the gun.

"No, I think I can kill you." The Chemist said plainly as he placed the barrel of the gun right on top of her head, "I just thought the countdown would make it more exciting." Stiles could feel her body started to shake, "So... One..." He counted cocking the trigger. Stiles closed her eyes and had refused to move at all, "Two..."

A gunshot filled the air and Stiles opened her eyes to find the Chemist had a hole in the middle of his head. She started to breathe very quickly before falling to ground. She didn't make to the ground completely when she was aware that Agent McCall, in a hazmat suit, was right by her side, "Where the hell did you come from?" Stiles asked trying not to have a panic attack. And more importantly not sending the agent flying across the room.

"Stiles, listen." Agent McCall pressed as he gripped her face, "I got a call from Melissa. I don't know what it means. She said there's an antidote. It's in a vault, reishi mushrooms."

Stiles' mind was still going wild as to what was happening, "Wait, what in a vault?" She asked.

"It's in a jar on one of the shelves." Agent McCall told her, "She said to tell Scott, it's in the vault."

Still in a state of shock, Stiles looked at him wide-eyed and slowly backed away before fully turning away and leaving the locker room. Agent McCall was left standing alone and confused at Stiles' reaction and the red lines he noticed running down her neck.

* * *

Derek and Satomi were now waiting on the elevator before leaving the hospital, "I have to get to the school." Derek told Satomi, "Stiles needs me. They all need me."

"Ah, she's your mate," Satomi noted and Derek gave her a head nod, "I'll handle the others at Lookout Point."

At that moment, the girl, Melissa had passed in the hospital hallway earlier, exited the elevator, gun in hand. Without hesitation, she fired on both werewolves.

Derek was quick to dive in front of Satomi. But the old alpha simply dodged the bullets "matrix style" while walking right up to the assassin and stabbing the girl in the neck, killing her.

Derek looked at the woman in shock, "I may have learned to control my anger," Satomi said with a sly smile, "But I still know when to  _use_  it."

* * *

Stiles was banging on the outside door of the Hale vault, "Hey, Scott? Scotty?" She cried out in a panic, "In the vault, in there with you. It's called reishi mushrooms." But she doesn't get answer.

On the inside of the vault Scott was leaning on the vault door, "Scott? Scott, open the door!" Stiles demanded and started to pound onto the door, "It's in there with you. It's in a jar, it's on one of the shelves." But again she heard nothing.

Now focusing on her power Stiles attempted materialize her way through, but realized she couldn't so she next the next best thing. She focused on trying conjure up enough force just to open the door, but couldn't. It dawned on her in that exact moment that the infection was now causing her not to be able to use her power, even though the red markings were still visible, "Scott!" She cried out and started to pound on the door once more, "Scott, can you hear me?" But she heard nothing and Stiles released a broken scream that turned into a small roar.

"Reishi... Scott, I saw it." Kira remembered on the ground. Everyone in the vault were close to death already, "In a jar on one of the shelves." She informed him.

Scott managed to stand and using his enhanced vision notice the mushrooms glowing brightly. He stumbled and crawled over to the shelf and managed to knock the jar off. It shattered on the floor and the mushroom spores fill the air.

Back outside the vault, Stiles was still helplessly pounding on the bottom of door still getting no results. She continued on and on until the door suddenly opened by itself. She looked up from the ground in shock as Scott fell in front of her, but when their eyes connected Scott's eyes were glowing red as the red markings on Stiles' neck glowed a dark red.

The two friends stare at each other, both relieved that the other was okay as Stiles grabbed him into a tight hug with a heavy sigh just as the hall lights around them exploded, but an invisible force field covered them protecting them from the broken glass.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski, Allison, and Landon were now rushing inside the school, "Excuse us, excuse us." They all said trying to find their loved ones.

Landon caught site of his mother, "Mom." He cried out to her and rushed into her arms, "Mom." He said with great relief.

"Landon! I'm sorry," She told her son as she gripped him tightly, "I'm so sorry. I was just... trying to get a little overtime."

The Sheriff and Allison were still looking for the others, when Allison caught site of the others coming from downstairs, "Scott!" She cried as she rushed in for a hug. Scott caught her effortlessly.

"You're okay." The Sheriff said as soon as Stiles and the others came up. The Sheriff gripped his daughter into hug, despite the blood spatter that remained on her face, "You're okay." He whispered into Stiles' ear, "You too, Isaac." The Sheriff said gripping the beta into the Stilinski family hug.

"I need to go find my Dad," Kira told them, "I'll catch up with you guys later."

"Micah." Allison said, noticing how quiet he had been, but she got ignored as the werecoyote walked passed them ignoring them.

"He knows." Isaac told them.

* * *

Stiles was in her room staring at the mirror. Her face was now clear of the Chemist's blood, but it was like she could still feel the stickiness. She shook herself away from the mirror and laid down in her bed.

**FLASHBACK**

"So it's you." Katashi speaks while his is currently bleeding from his mouth and the stomach wound he has gotten during the battle. The attack was sudden and no one knew actually where the threat had come from, but now the head of the Yakuza stands alone. None of his men are alive. Just like the men from his first encounter with the Oni. Only it is something entirely different.

"Long time no see." Nogitsune Stiles says with a smirk playing across her face as she steps out of the shadow. She looks bored at the bodies that surround them before turning her attention back to the Yakuza, "Quite the promotion you got here. Last time I saw you were nothing, but a lowly bodyguard. Look at you now ordering people around... Well you were."

"I know what you want." Katashi breathes out heavily, "And it's not going to happen."

"Actually you're mistaken." She tells him stalking her way over to him, "I will get what I want. Even if it means I gotta rid of a few people along the way."

"Stop right there," Katashi orders her. The only thing between them is the barrel of the gun that is pointing right her. Only Stiles seems quite unbothered by the entire situation, "We should've killed you a long time ago."

"Sorry to disappoint." Nogitsune Stiles comments in a feign sincerity, "But unfortunately those fireflies aren't here to help you."

Not even deterred by the words Katashi still pulls the trigger and shoot at Stiles. Only before the bullet can even make impact the Nogitsune Stiles raises her hand up as it freezes in place, leaving Katashi shock.

"That's the thing about a human being soul-bonded to werewolf," Stiles states, "They have to have some way to defend themselves." She tilts her head to the side, "I'd kill you with my bare hands, but since I'm running on a tight schedule..."

With a flick of her wrist, the bullet quickly changes direction and impales the Yakuza, as the blood splatters on her face, and he dies.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Derek had been ready to lay down himself, in his bed at the loft. He didn't want Stiles to see the graze wound and told her he would explain everything later and that she needed to rest. In the seconds few he had to close his eyes, Stiles materialized in his bed. Derek had thought nothing of it since it was symptom of her having another nightmare.

However, what Derek doesn't notice was the red markings forming around her arm as they slowly got darker and darker.

It wasn't until the red turned black, does Stiles abruptly filled the silent loft with terrorized screams. Derek immediately woke up to the sound and noticed that the black markings and tried to take a hold of her to calm her down, only it doesn't quite work.

The black markings only appeared, from what he could gather, when she was dreaming she was killing someone. It also meant that that things were going to get sent all over the place if he couldn’t wake her up.

Around them, Derek could hear the large window began to rattle and see the table in the middle of the loft began to levitate in the air.

Derek started shaking Stiles, "Stiles, you're okay!" He shouted, as he tried to wake her up, "Open your eyes!"

At the sound of the command, Stiles opened her eyes and the window stopped rattling, while the table toppled back onto the floor.

Stiles looked around confused, "I was..." She looked up at Derek suddenly scared, "In my room. Oh God." She whispered as her voice began to break, "It's happened again."

"No it's not." Derek assured her as he pulled her close, rubbing a gentle hand through her hair, "You're fine. Just another nightmare."

Stiles slowly relaxed at the touch while the black started to fade from her arms, "I'm sorry."

"Don't," Derek whispered to her softly as he laid them back down together, "Just go back to sleep."

It takes a while, but Stiles does fall asleep as Derek held her close to him. Whatever, Kate had done to him was getting worse for Stiles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "This isn't going to get me killed is it?" Danny questioned them.
> 
> "No," Stiles told him, "Unless you're a supernatural creature who had somehow managed not be on the list."
> 
> Danny remained silent and began typing, "That's your assassin speak?" Stiles criticized as she observed his response on the laptop.
> 
> "I said he's dead." Danny told her, "What more do you want?"
> 
> "Danny you disappoint me." Stiles expressed, "It was a little dry." For that she received an eye roll from both Allison and Danny, "You could've said something like, "Target has been neutralized. The crow flies at midnight." That's always cool."
> 
> XXXX
> 
> At the lake house, Natalie showed Landon a scrap of paper, "This was the last thing your grandmother wrote down before she died." Landon looked over the paper curiously as his mother continued talking, "Don't even know why I kept it because it's basically nonsense."
> 
> "Are you absolutely sure Grandma's dead?" Landon asked.
> 
> "Yes." Ms. Martin said, but a split second she seemed unsure herself, "I mean, she has to be."
> 
> "This isn't nonsense, Mom." Landon told her, "It's code." The scrap of paper included what looked to be like the Benefactor's code.


	15. Time of Death pt.1

Hours had passed since Agent McCall shot The Chemist. He removed the rounds from his clip and placed them and his gun into evidence bags. He placed his phone on the table and started to make recording, "Preliminary notes on firearm discharge incident. Assailant armed with sound-suppressor equipped Walther P88... Having heard the perpetrator's threat and countdown, I made visual confirmation of the barrel of the weapon pressed to the potential victim's head."

Just out the room, Scott had been listening to his father making the incident report, "Determining the danger to be imminent, I felt no other choice but to respond with the use of deadly force." Agent McCall concluded. Once he had everything settled he met with Scott outside the room, "Thanks for waiting. I know it's late."

"It's okay." Scott told his father, "It's not like I'm going to be going to school tomorrow anyway."

"Unfortunately, I'm going to have to drive back to San Francisco tonight." The Agent told him and Scott looked a bit surprise, "I'll need to do a review at the field office. But I'll be back as soon as I can. I might have to miss the first game of the season."

"It's no big deal."

"It is to me." Agent McCall countered easily, "I'm keeping my promises this time." He reminded Scott, "What I did, it was necessary. Justifiable. You know that, right?"

"Have you done it before?" Scott asked.

"Two other times." Agent McCall admitted, "It's not easy, taking a man's life, even someone who  _forces_  you to do it."

"How do you deal with it?" He asked. He would've asked Stiles, but there was just somethings that Stiles couldn't talk about without breaking down or shutting them out completely.

"You looking at it logically." He told his son as they headed out the station, "Without emotion. You compartmentalize."

"How do you do that?"

"I used to do it by drinking." Agent McCall said quietly. Scott then embraced his father, "One more thing." He told him as they broke apart, "When I do come back, we have to talk about some stuff." Scott gave him a questioning look, "You and your friends, the way you guys handle things, it doesn't seem to faze you like it should. It's like you guys know something I don't. When I come back, I'd like to be in the know."

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

The pack, along with Liam, are gathered around in the McCall kitchen, "Is three enough?" Kira questions them.

"Depends on how many cameras they have." Stiles tells her as she sets up the laptops, "But I think so."

"Are we really doing this?" Allison asked with uncertainty in her voice.

"We're doing it." Scott presses at them, "Tonight."

"But isn't it kind of dangerous?" Liam asks not sure if anyone had thought out the plan all the way through.

"It's incredibly dangerous." Stiles says with no assurance, "And _borderline_ idiotic." Stiles says looking straight at Scott, "I thought I said we weren't going to do something like this again."

"You guys done something like this before?"

"Something dangerous?" Isaac asks Liam, "Or something idiotic?"

"I think it's a yes to both." Kira whispers to Liam.

"You don't have to be part of it if you don't want to." Scott assures his beta.

"I'm not scared." Liam responds easily,

"Then you're borderline idiotic." Stiles tells him with an approving look on her face, "If we do this, we don't know what's coming for us. You know that, right?"

"How do we even know something's definitely coming?" Allison questions them.

"Because the tape from Garrett's bag said visual confirmation is required." Scott explains to them.

"Simon said the same thing." Stiles shares confirming Scott's words, "He couldn't get paid by The Benefactor until he had proof that you guys were dead."

"So the idea is," Scott shares with them, "What if you kill someone on the dead pool, but you can't send the proof?"

"You don't get paid." Kira answers as she is trying to piece the pieces together.

"But how does that get us any closer to The Benefactor?" Liam questions.

"He still needs to know if the target is really dead." Isaac explains to him.

"Especially if it's someone  _high_  on the list." Stiles inputs.

"So, if he wants visual confirmation..."

"He's going to have to come get it himself." Scott concludes.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

An ambulance rushed it's way to the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital, the paramedics rushed through the emergency room entrance, "Move, move, move!" The EMTs shouted trying to get the hallway cleared.

"We need ECG." A nurse shouted to the room, but they still weren't getting a response, "He's flat-lining..." The nurse informed the attending doctor. He also just so happened to be Liam's stepfather.

"Get him to trauma 2." He ordered, "Start another IV."

While team members were doing as they were told a nurse started doing chest compressions, while Liam's stepfather started up the defibrillator, "Clear!" He shouted.

But it appeared to have done nothing as the monitor continued to flatline, "Still asystole." He yelled into the room, "Continue chest compressions and charge to 360. Clear!"

The monitor continued it's flat line signal, "I'm calling it." He announced to the room, "Time of death 2102 hours. Would someone please page Melissa McCall?"

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Stiles suddenly wakes up in a gasps and feels familiar arms tightening around her waist. It takes a second her to realize that it is Derek sleeping with his chest against her back. Hours have pass since the incident at the school and hours since her nightmare. She notices that Derek has a blood stain on the side of his hip seeping through his white tank. She looks at it cautiously and wonders why he is bleeding.

Careful not to wake him, she silently turns over on her side, sits up slowly, and lifts up his shirt and sees the gunshot wound Derek has gotten, just before Stiles can get a real good look at the damage, Derek's hand comes up and takes a hold of her wrist, "What are you doing?" Derek asks her. She looks down to see him staring right her with his eyes wide open.

She looks back his tank and looks over the wound once again, "Why aren't you healing?" She asks countering his question.

"Some wounds take longer." Derek states, brushing off the question.

Stiles squints her eyes at him, "And some leave scars." She says knowingly placing her hand over the Alpha scars on the side of her hip, "I'm not an idiot, Derek. What's going on?"

"Maybe I'm just tired."

"Derek." Stiles presses him, "I know something is happening with you. I can't feel the bond anymore and I can't control my power like I'm supposed to. At first, I thought it was because of the infection, but I'm starting to think it is something else. I seriously hope you aren't possessed." She tells him trying to make a joke, but it falls flat between them.

"Don't worry I'm not." Derek assures her.

"Then show me your eyes."

"You just saw them." Derek quirks at her and pulls her into his arms.

"That's not what I mean and you know it," She tells him gently, "I saw them glow a different color after you rescued us from the berserkers at the school." She confesses to him and sees a stoned-look on his face, “I didn’t want to say anything-”, Derek starts to move away, but Stiles gently cups his face, "Hey. Don't." She whispers, "Don't shut me out. Not now."

Derek looks at Stiles for a second before he gives her an eye blank. As a result, Stiles sees that his eyes no longer have a werewolf glow anymore, "Okay." She tells him rubbing a thumb across his face, "Okay."

Derek remains quiet as he pulls her closer and closes his eyes. However, Stiles stays awake until he is fully asleep before quietly getting up and places a bandage on the wound.

"Welcome to Team Human." She whispers quietly before she grabs her phone and starts texting someone.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Melissa was being escorted into the room by nurse who wasn't giving her any answers to the questions she had been asking, "Now, why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

However, her mood suddenly changed when she spotted Scott's dead body in the middle of the ER room and she released a scream that echoed through the halls of the hospital. She collapsed to the floor in obvious pain after learning about Scott's death, "What happened to my son?" She cried into the Doctor's shoulder.

* * *

**FLASHBACK**

Earlier in the afternoon, Scott, Liam, Kira and Noshiko Yukimura were gathered around Scott's bed, "Are you guys totally  _sure_  about this?" Liam asks them nervously.

"I think Liam's kind of nervous." Kira tells Scott, but he isn't the only one, "Maybe you should tell him it's going to be all right."

"It's going to be all right." Scott tells him.

"So, you've done this before, right?" Liam asks Noshiko.

"I've _seen_ it done." She offers to the young werewolf.

"Is that just as good?"

"No."

"Mom," Kira says with a strain in her voice, "You're not inspiring confidence."

"Good." Ms. Yukimura tells her daughter, "This is a  _terrible_  idea."

"Do you want us to do it without you?" Kira challenges her mother. Noshiko isn't surprised by Kira's challenge.

"Put your hand over his heart." Noshiko tells her daughter, but Scott stops Kira from even moving her hand.

"Hold on. What happens while I'm out?" He questions Ms. Yukimura, "Am I gonna feel anything?"

"It might feel like you're dreaming." She offers to him.

"Good dreams or bad?"

"I suppose that depends on you."

Noshiko gives Kira the go ahead and Kira places her hand over Scott's heart as she releases foxfire which causes him to seize and gasp.

**END FLASHBACK**

* * *

Back at the hospital, Melissa had regained her composure. She entered the morgue where Scott's body lied. The pack was there as well, along with Noshiko, "I still hate this plan." She told them as she wiped off her face, "I mean this is pretty significantly terrifyingly. He looks dead."

"Give me your hand." Noshiko told her gently, Melissa looked uncertain for a second, "It's okay."

Melissa handed her hand over to her and Noshiko placed it right over Scott's heart, but Melissa could only feel the coolness of Scott's body.

"Wait for it." Stiles told her gently. She had to go through the whole process herself. They all had to. Melissa suddenly felt a small heartbeat and she smiled with some relief.

"Is that enough to keep a werewolf alive?" Melissa asked.

"Enough for an Alpha." Noshiko told her.

"How much time do we have?"

"Forty-five minutes."

"What happens after that?"

"I bring him back the same way." Kira told her.

"No, I mean what happens if he stays like this longer than forty-five minutes?" Melissa asked the group in general.

The group fell silent as Noshiko looked dumbfounded at them, "No one's told her?"

"What?" Melissa asked now confused when no one answered the question, "What happens after forty-five minutes?"

"He dies."

* * *

Allison and Stiles, along with their good friend Danny, were now working on their part of the plan in Argent weapon's cage, "This isn't going to get me killed is it?" Danny questioned them.

"No," Stiles told him, "Unless you're a supernatural creature who had somehow managed not be on the list."

Danny remained silent and began typing, " _That's_  your assassin speak?" Stiles criticized as she observed his response on the laptop.

"I said he's dead." Danny told her, "What more do you want?"

"Danny you disappoint me." Stiles expressed, "It was a little dry." For that she received an eye roll from both Allison and Danny, "You could've said something like, "Target has been neutralized. The crow flies at midnight." That's always cool."

The computer beeped as The Benefactor requested visual confirmation, "Type this," Stiles directed towards him, ""Visual confirmation isn't possible." "Police coming to claim body in forty minutes.""

However, The Benefactor was still dead set on getting the visual confirmation that was desired, Allison got frustrated and took the computer away from him, "Number one on the list is dead. I killed him." She read as she typed out the statement, "And if the wire transfer isn't completed in forty minutes...I'm coming after you." Allison pressed the enter key.

"That's one way to do it." Danny commented as they got ready to leave.

* * *

Derek was about ready to head out when he heard someone banging on his loft door. He wasn't expecting anyone so he was on guard when he opened the door, "She didn't." Derek stated when he found Braeden right on the other side. She was wearing a smug look.

"She did," Braeden claimed as she made her way into the loft, "She gave me a small rundown on what was going on with you."

"It's just a graze." Derek said in an annoyed tone. He even told Stiles that, but she wasn't having any of his excuses.

"That's probably something you've never had to worry about before, is it?" Braeden questioned him, only for her to get a glare from him. But it doesn't bother her one bit, "So, it's everything then? No glowing eyes, no healing."

"No hearing, speed, everything."

"Including the bond," She stated, "Strength?"

"I don't know what she has told you, but I can still win a fight." Derek told her.

Braeden placed her arm on the metal table in the arm wrestle stance, "You ready?" She challenged him.

Derek got into position himself, "Mmm-hmm."

"One, two..." Braeden counted as they started to arm wrestle. As they begun, she poked him in his bullet wound (because he was an idiot and didn't want Stiles to heal him) and Derek flinched in pain and quickly lost.

"You cheated." Derek shot at her, "That's cheating..."

"I won." Braeden said plainly, "When you're a human facing off against the supernatural, you need to  _bend_  the rules a little bit." She readied herself, back into position, "I'm gonna teach you how to bend."

* * *

On the roof of the Hospital, Chris Argent attached a device that taps the building's internal security cameras, "Try it now." Chris told Stiles over the phone.

In an empty patient room, Stiles, Isaac, Liam, and Kira had set up the laptops. With a single keystroke, all three light up with multiple images from the hospital's security cameras.

* * *

Scott was now awake. Only he was inside one of the refrigerated vaults at the hospital's morgue. When he looked behind him, the narrow square container seems to go on forever. He crawled through and emerges from a locker in the darkened hallway of Beacon Hills High School.

"Catch!" Liam's voice suddenly filled his ears, just as Liam tossed a lacrosse ball aimed for Scott's head. Scott caught it with no problem, "That's why you're team captain." Liam told him with a smile before he jogged off down the hall and into a classroom.

Scott quickly followed, but Liam was gone. Instead, there was a laptop open on the teacher's desk making a beeping sound. As Scott made his way over to the desk he noticed that on the screen, The Benefactor's code scrolled to a stop and the "Keyword" prompt flashed. Without even thinking, Scott typed in his own name and a list suddenly appeared.

THE MUTE

THE ORPHANS

THE CHEMIST

"I can't do that." Scott said aloud, he realized exactly what it was, "I can't kill them."

"Someone has to." Allison said suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

"Why me?"

"Because you're the Alpha." Liam's voice told him.

"I'm not a murderer." Scott told them.

"But you are a predator." Allison pointed out to him.

"No." Scott said backing away from the two, "We're predators... But we don't have to... We don't have to..." He struggled to remember the rest, but couldn't.

He slammed the laptop shut and turned to see the Mute removing his tomahawk from Liam's back. "Scott!" Liam cried out, "Scott, please!" Scott stood in shock, "Scott, help me!"

The Mute placed his finger over the area where his mouth should be in the "shush" motion before raring back with the weapon and slamming it down into Liam again and Liam cried out in pain once more.

* * *

Micah was exploring the Hale Vault. His phone rang and he sees that a call from Isaac. Instead of answering he turned it off.

His eye landed on the safe and he ripped off the handle and opened it. Inside there was a folder labeled  _"Micah Tate – Adoption Records."_

Out of nowhere, Peter showed up and noticed the folder Micah held in his hand, "I've gotta buy a better safe." He commented.

* * *

Chris and Allison were now in the hospital corridor. Chris had a timer that read 28:01 (a countdown until they have to revive Scott).

Outside the hospital, Noshiko and Melissa were sitting in Kira's car watching people come and go in hopes of spotting a stranger that might be The Benefactor. The countdown on Melissa's phone now read "00:26:44."

"What about him?" Noshiko asked as she watched a man walk into the hospital entrance through the rearview mirror.

"No," Melissa sighed tired as she looked for herself, "He's in here every week with a new self-diagnosis." Melissa voiced.

"Hypochondriac?"

"Prescription drug addict." Melissa said. They watched a few more people going in and out of the hospital, "Why are we doing this?" She questioned Noshiko, "Why are we asking them to fight these kinds of fights?"

Noshiko looked at her knowingly, "Because otherwise we'd be asking them to run and hide." Noshiko said thoughtfully. Melissa looked down at the countdown on her phone. It read "00:26:44."

* * *

Stiles and Danny met up with Liam, Isaac, and Kira in the empty patient room at the hospital. They were looking at the monitors, until the camera feed from the roof started to glitch, "Is that supposed to look like that?" Liam asked noticing it first.

"No." Danny told him as he tried to gain back the signal, "No, it's not."

"Where is that?" Kira asked.

"The roof." He informed her, "Someone's gonna have to check it out." He told them, but he was directing the statement at Stiles.

Stiles noticed the look that the werecreatures were giving her, especially Isaac, "No way are you going." Stiles told him, knowing exactly what he was trying to do.

"I'll go." Kira offered as she readied herself to leave the room.

"Whoa, whoa." Stiles told her as well, "This might not just be a malfunction."

"That's why I'm bringing this." Kira told her as she held up her sword.

"I'm coming with you." Liam told her as well. Isaac gave Stiles a look. A look that clearly said 'You have no choice.'

"Okay." Stiles said in defeated and took a hold of Isaac's hand. Isaac could feel a warm sensation cover his body as red began to appear on Stiles' skin, "You three coming right back." She told them in an authoritative voice as she took a hold of Kira and Liam's hand,  _"Immediately."_

The Kitsune and beta werewolves gave her head nods and rushed out the room. Stiles released a heavy sigh and muttered to herself, "Kids." Just before she focused her attention back to the computer screens and Danny, "You should probably get out of here too."

"So you and Isaac really are dating, huh?"

"Yeah."

"No you're not." Danny replied easily, "That's just a lie you told Coach."

"I'm not even going to ask how you know."

"Easy, your 'cousin'," Danny air quoted, "Miguel wasn't exactly subtle about his behavior around you."

Stiles gave him a look of curiosity, "Just how much do you know?"

"Enough to not die in this town," Danny said easily, "Just like you guys try not to die tonight, alright?"

"Thanks for the advice." Stiles shouted out to him as he walked out the door.  _One of us better not._

* * *

Back in the vault, Peter had blocked Micah's way out, "I can't let you leave here with that." He told him.

"Maybe you won't have a choice." Micah challenged him.

"Is that right?" Peter asked slightly amused.

"I think I could take you." Micah said with confidence.

"You've heard rumors I'm not as strong as I used to be." Peter said knowingly as he started to circle the boy.

"Something like that." Micah responded easily, without letting Peter out of his sight.

"I said you can't  _leave_  with it." Peter told him, "I didn't say you couldn't  _read_  it."

* * *

In the boathouse at Landon's Grandmother's place, Landon was searching for clues to explain why Meredith would have been in a photograph taken in the lake house. He assured Allison that he would be okay by himself while they executed the plan that was in motion. Of course, he too had agreed that the plan was terrible.

While rummage through the items, he heard footsteps and wheeled around with a paddle as a weapon only to come face to face with his mother, "Oh, God." Ms. Martin breathed out.

"Mom!" Landon said in surprise and quickly placed the paddle down, "What are you doing?"

"What are you doing?" His mother shot back at him.

Landon released a calming breath, "Nothing." He lied, "And how did you know I was here? Did you follow me?"

"No, I'm getting ready for the Open House tomorrow."

"The Open House is next week." Landon told her, calling her out on her own lie.

"Okay, I followed you." Natalie confessed, "Honey, you come up here every weekend, sometimes even during the week, and as far as I can tell, there's no boy involved, so I really have no clue what you're up to."

"I'm trying to figure something out." Landon told her as he went back to going through the boathouse, "Something important. And honestly, Mom, you don't need to be involved in every single detail of my life."

"No." She agreed, "But I'd like to help if I can."

Landon gave his mother a curious look, before he held out the old photograph, "Do you know her?"

"Meredith Walker." Natalie said easily without Landon giving her the name.

* * *

Scott was now awake. Only he was inside one of the refrigerated vaults at the hospital's morgue. When he looked behind him, the narrow square container seems to go on forever. He crawled through and emerges from a locker in the darkened hallway of Beacon Hills High School.

"Catch!" Liam's voice suddenly filled his ears, just as Liam tossed a lacrosse ball aimed for Scott's head. Scott caught it with no problem, "That's why you're the Alpha."

Suddenly they were both in the locker room and Scott was examining his teeth in the mirror, "There's something different, isn't there?" Stiles asked taking Liam's place.

"I've got more fangs." Scott told her, "I noticed it during the quarantine. I don't know why."

"Maybe it's part of being an Alpha." Stiles told him as Scott stepped away from the mirror, "Like you're becoming more of a werewolf."

"Or more of a monster." Scott countered.

"What if it makes you stronger?" Stiles asked him, "What if it's like you're growing?"

Then the automated voice of The Mute filled the locker room, "Evolving."

Scott turned to face the voice when Stiles fell into his arms, a tomahawk sticking out from her back. Again, The Mute made the "shush" sign.

* * *

On the hospital roof, a transformer began to sparking and surging, "Looks like someone did something to it." Liam commented.

They then heard a growl and turned to see a Berserker walking toward them, "I think somebody did..." Kira commented as she took a defensive stance with her sword and Isaac flashed out his claws.

The lights inside the hospital were flickering on and off, when Stiles caught up to with the Argents, "The power's out in the whole building." She told them, "I lost all the cameras."

"Stay with Scott." Chris told Stiles, "Text me if you see or hear anything. Allison you come with me."

"Dad we only "18:02." left" Allison told him. Chris nod with confirmation and they both rushed away.

* * *

Braeden had placed a gun on the table, after she had beaten Derek multiple times in the game of arm wrestling, "This is a Sig Sauer P2269mm." She explained to him.

"I don't like guns." Derek commented.

"That's because you've never learned to use one."

"Or because I've been shot." Derek said in a tone, " _Repeatedly_. Not to mention Stiles has been held at gun point on multiple occasions."

"You'll like this one." Braeden reasoned to him, "The legal clip size in California is ten." She explained while holding up the weapon, "You always want to remember how many shots you fire. Running out of bullets can get you killed. It also makes you look stupid."

She slid the clip in and handed the weapon to Derek, "but using a gun isn't just about learning how to point and shoot."

"Why's that?" Derek questioned.

Braeden took a couple of steps back, "Because an average person can move twenty-one feet in one-point-five seconds." She shared with him, "If they have a knife, they can gut you before you can pull and fire. So with a gun, you need distance. Go for it. Pull the gun on me."

Derek did as instructed and Braeden was able to take it away from him quickly and easily, "So, yeah." Derek said now getting the point. He was also starting to see why Stiles had chosen Braeden in the first place.

"Wanna try again?" Braeden asked in a mocking tone.

Derek nodded in agreement and they were back to practicing the exercise over and over. And through each practice Braeden had managed to disarm Derek each time, "I could do this all day." Braeden told him clearly enjoying herself.

Derek had an idea, "One more time." Derek told her.

They readied themselves once more, Braeden was ready to disarm Derek once more, "Ow ow," Derek claimed holding onto his side, "Hold on this wound is killing me."

"Are you okay?" Braeden asked as she stepped closer.

Instead of answering, Derek quickly grabbed a hold of her arm taking a hold of the gun and swooped his leg under causing her to fall the floor with the gun pointed right at her.

"You cheated." Braeden told him, when she realized she had been tricked and dropped kicked to the ground.

Derek gave her a smug look as he offered a hand to help her up off the ground.

* * *

Micah was looking over the file. In it consisted his birth certificate and other pages. There was a paper labeled "Adoption Request." The page was torn and bloodied. While mostly obscured, the adopting parents' names were listed as "Evelyn Tate" and "Henry Tate." The agency handling the adoption was listed as "Beacon Adoption." Apparently a court hearing took place with a case number of "BDH093892."

"You wanna talk about it?" Peter joked, while watching Micah's reaction, "See a family counselor?"

"There's nothing in there." Micah said frustrated.

"Cost me a lot of money to get that file." Peter said slightly offended.

"You got ripped off."

"You know what happens when you only hear one side of a story?" Peter asked him earning a distrustful look from Micah, "You've only heard one side of the story."

* * *

On the roof, Kira, Isaac, and Liam took their shots at the berserker. Unfortunately, the force fields Stiles had placed on Isaac, Kira, and Liam were now down and Isaac was thrown right into Liam by the berserker.

Kira managed to get some hits in with her sword before she too was taken out with a right hook to the jaw. While she struggled to remain conscious, Kira remembered discussing another plan with Stiles earlier in the day.

**FLASHBACK**

Kira and Stiles are watching Scott and Allison discussing the plan over again. It is clearly that they are both worried about the outcome.

"That's actually a good plan." Kira tells her, "But how do you know it will work? What if they don't want to?"

"Then I'll handcuff them together if I have to." Stiles whispers to her easily.

"Are you sure there will be time for it though?"

"They could make time."

"Even though people are dying all around us?"

"Okay." Stiles says realizing she has a point, "Maybe after that."

"That sounds like a plan." Kira agrees as she and Stiles both exchange smiles.

"What are you two smiling about?" Allison asks them, when she notices the exchange.

Kira and Stiles look at each other and both reply, "Nothing."

**END FLASHBACK**

Liam and Isaac struggled to wake Kira by pulling her to her feet. But it doesn't work as planned so Isaac threw her over his shoulder and the two werewolves retreating back from the berserker.

* * *

Noshiko and Melissa were now inside hospital heading the room where Stiles had set up the computers – the kids were gone and the counter on the laptop read "00:16:13:21."

Then they were surrounded by darkness, before the emergency lights came on, "I'm guessing the power doesn't go out often in this hospital." Noshiko said to Melissa as they exited room.

"Only when under attack by supernatural creatures."

* * *

Stiles was still in the morgue and was frantically calling both Chris and Allison, "Come on, come on. Answer the phone." She said as the end of Chris' phone rang on her, but she got no response. She quickly dialed Allison's phone as well, "Answer the phone, Ally A." She pleaded to the ringing line, but no answer came. "Come on, Argents, why are you not answering the phone?" She asked.

As if to give her an answer, both Allison and Chris both came flying through the door and landed on the floor, "I was right." Chris said.

"Stiles, get out of here." Allison told her.

But Stiles was confused as to why until Kate Argent stepped into the room, "Get out of the way, Stiles." The woman told her coolly, "I'm taking the body."

"Why?" Stiles questioned refusing to move an inch, "Visual confirmation?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Kate told her with a smirk, "I'm not The Benefactor."

"I personally find that hard to believe."

"What do you want with the body then?" Chris asked Kate.

"I wish I could tell you." Kate said as she made her way over to Stiles. However, she came to a halt when she felt a barrel of a gun on the back of her head, "I  _always_  forget you carry two." Kate said turning her attention to her brother.

* * *

"You _murdered_ people." Micah said to Peter after he explained his behavior for the previous year, "Not killed. Murdered."

"There were extenuating circumstances."

"Like what?" Micah questioned sarcastically, "The fire?"

"A fire that nearly burned me alive." Peter shot at him, "Six years in a coma. Do you know what that's like for one of us?" He questioned him, "It's not a pleasant sleep. Imagine it. Being trapped in your body, but still being fully cognizant." Peter instructed him, "Unable to do anything other than listen to your own thoughts slowly driving you absolutely and totally insane, minute-by-minute, day-by-day. Yes, I've done horrible, terrible things. And so have a lot of people. And horrible, terrible things are going to keep happening. Especially when there's a dead pool with your name on it."

"But not yours." Micah threw at him.

"True. But I am not The Benefactor." Peter confessed, "I'm just a guy who's out millions of dollars. A few thousand of which I used trying to help you."

"Me?" Micah asked not hiding the doubt in his voice at all.

"How does the bad guy prove that he's not so bad?" Peter asked him, "By doing an act of kindness."

"What could you ever do for me?"

"Help you find your mother." Peter told him, this time it caught Micah's attention, "I'm pretty interested myself as seeing as I have no memory myself." Peter shared with him.

"Okay." Micah said interested, "What did you find?"

"A woman, might be her." Peter offered, "I don't have a name yet, just a particularly interesting alias. She's called The Desert Wolf." He then noticed a look on Micah's face, "Do you know what that means?"

"Coyote."

* * *

"What the..." Noshiko commented. Ever since they had left the room, she and Melissa have had run-ins with hospital workers that were running and screaming. None of them had even paid them attention and had continued running in terror.

When Melissa and Noshiko turned a corner there was a Berserker, right inside the hall. The Berserker growled at them.

"Are you still a Kitsune?" Melissa asked her.

"Technically." Noshiko told her as they backed away down the hall just as the berserker charged right at them.

* * *

At the lake house, Natalie removed an urn which Landon recognized as the ashes from someone who died at Eichen House, "These are your grandmother's ashes." Natalie told him.

"Grandma died in Eichen House." Landon stated.

"Your father had a difficult relationship with his mother." Ms. Martin tried to explain, "But after the things she said, and the way she acted..."

"He thought she was crazy."

"Well, she said she heard things." His mother told him.

"Why did she want her ashes in here?" Landon questioned his mother.

"Well, actually, she didn't." Ms. Martin told him as they faced the lake, "She left instructions to have them spread across the lake."

"How come you haven't done it?"

"Because she wanted you to do it." Which shocked Landon, "When you turned eighteen. Don't ask me why. But since there's only a few weeks till that, I suppose now is as good a time as any."

Natalie headed over the urn to Landon who opened it, but instead of ashes Landon easily realized that it was something else, "Mom, these aren't Grandma's ashes."

"What do you mean?" Ms. Martin asked confused, "Of course they are."

"No." Landon told her as he took hold of small pile of the ash in his hands, "It's Mountain Ash." He then casted a handful of the stuff toward the opening to the lake and it fell in a perfect line, "The whole building." He realized, looking around, "It's all made of Mountain Ash." He also realized that he had just laid down the final part of the protective seal.


	16. Time of Death pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'll be out in the woods of the 29th. So there will be an update tmrw with both parts of Perishable. Then updating will resume April 5th

 

In the morgue, Chris still had his gun pointed at Kate, "Back off!"

"You sure you can pull the trigger  _fast_  enough?" Kate questioned her brother, not blinking.

"I don't want to." Chris informed his sister.

"You're not going to kill me." Kate said without hesitation as she made her way closer to Scott's body, only to get knocked back by the force field Stiles had placed around his body.

Kate has a look of impression on her face as she switched her attention to Stiles, "You're not taking his body," Stiles told her in a hard tone, "You're not taking anyone tonight. Not again."

Kate smirked, "How is Derek, by the way?"

Stiles was ready to retort back, "Leave her alone Kate," Chris told his sister, before Stiles said anything, "Your business tonight isn't with them. It's with us."

"Listen to him, Kate." Allison pleaded, "We have a plan."

"If killing Scott was part of it, you're worse than me." Kate told her former family.

"She's telling the truth." Chris told Kate, "We're trying to get to The Benefactor."

"If you didn't notice, you're on that list too." Stiles pointed out sternly, "And you're worth  _more_  than most."

"That's why I'm here." Kate claimed, her eyes fell down to Chris' timer which read "03:04" and she gave her brother a questioning look.

"Back off and let us do what we planned." Chris ordered urgently, "Take the Berserkers, and go. Kate, _please_. We have a plan."

* * *

Liam was battered and bleeding and so was Isaac as they were once facing with the Berserker once again, "Liam, run." Isaac told the young beta as he was still supporting Kira under his arm, "Get out of here."

Instead of doing as he was told Liam raised from the ground, eyes glowing yellow, for another attack. He jumped on top of a transformer bank and diving at the Berserker, only to get knocked down hard onto the ground.

"Liam!" Isaac called out as Liam seemed to have been injured by the attack.

Just as the Berserker was bearing down over the fallen beta, a howl filled the air. The Berserker immediately stopped and turned away. Leaving Liam and Isaac panting heavily with relief.

* * *

Scott was now awake. Only he was inside one of the refrigerated vaults at the hospital's morgue. When he looked behind him, the narrow square container seems to go on forever. He crawled through and emerges from a locker in the darkened hallway of Beacon Hills High School.

"Catch!" Liam's voice suddenly filled his ears, just as Liam tossed a bloody tomahawk as it wizzed at his head.

Scott noticed Liam was lying at his feet, bleeding from a tomahawk wound in his chest, "Why did you do that?" His beta whimpered to him.

The Mute suddenly appeared behind Scott and took the hand holding the tomahawk, "Let me help you." The automated voice told him, "Let me show you how." Scott then began to chop at Liam on his own. His fangs extended, his eyes going red and blood spray covered his face.

Suddenly Scott was back in the real morgue and he's screaming. Allison rushed to his side and gave him a kiss and it seemed to calm him down, "What happened?" Scott asked them, "Did it work?"

The pack shook their heads "no". Before Scott could question them any farther Liam came rushing in to morgue giving Kira a worried look, "What?" Kira asked him.

"It's your mother..." Liam said, biting his lower lip, "She's hurt."

* * *

Noshiko was laying in the middle of the hallway, she was bleeding profusely from a wound in her side and started to nod off, "Hey!" Melissa told her gently smacking her face, "Stay with me."

Out of nowhere, Liam's stepfather appeared, "What the hell happened here?" He questioned Melissa.

"Just help me get her off the floor." Melissa demanded ignoring his question completely.

* * *

In the sewers, Kate reported back to Peter, "You were right." She told him out of breath, "He's still alive."

Peter turned to her, "Thank God." Peter said with some relief.

* * *

Micah was in Stiles' room when she and Isaac got home. Stiles noticed that he was staring at the part of the Dead Pool that included his real name "Micah Hale."

"Where have you been?" Stiles asked gently.

"Talking to Peter."

Isaac and Stiles exchanged unsure glances, "Okay." Stiles said, "You think that's a good idea?"

"If he can help me find my mother, I don't think I care."

But Isaac could see that something was still bothering him, "You might be related to him," Isaac told him, "But you're not like him."

"Maybe I am." Micah said sadly, "That night I caused the car crash..."

"You mean when you were out-of-control on the full moon."

"There's a part I didn't tell you about." He confessed, not looking at them, "Right before we got in the car, my mother... My adoptive mother, I guess... We got into a huge fight." And Micah struggled to find the words, "I don't even remember what it was about, but... I remember what I said."

"Micah, you don't have to-"

"I said, "I wish you were all dead."" He told them, finally turning around with tears in his eyes.

"Killing doesn't run in a family." Stiles assured him.

"Maybe it does in mine." He taped the Dead Pool list to Stiles murder board and left.

"What now?" Isaac asked Stiles with Micah gone.

Stiles shook her head, "I have no idea, but could you stay here in case he comes back?" She asked him.

"Yeah, going to tell Derek that you ran into Kate?"

"Unfortunately."

"That should be a lovely conversation." Isaac stated knowingly, "Just how did you distract him?"

"I have my ways."

* * *

Kira, Allison, and Scott were back at the McCall residence, "My mom's being taken to a hospital in Palo Alto." Kira updated them, "They actually put her in a helicopter."

"But she's going to be okay?" Allison asked showing some concern.

"Yeah. She just doesn't heal like she used to." Kira explained to them, "I need to be there with her. Especially if she's still on the list."

"Totally understandable," Scott told her, "I actually have to go back to the hospital too. They want to do a bunch of tests since I was kind of officially dead."

"I guess Liam's dad has a lot of questions."

"Nothing we can't handle." Allison assured her,

"I just wish it had all worked." Kira told them with disappointment in her voice, "It was a good plan."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that too." Scott shared with them, "And actually, I think maybe it did work. Not that I know exactly who The Benefactor is but we might know a lot more about him now."

"But no one came." Allison pointed to him, "And no one got visual confirmation, right?"

"That's why it might have worked." Scott theorized, "Think about it. Who has the power to know when someone's dead, but doesn't need to see the body to know it happened?"

"The Harbingers of Death." Kira stated.

"A Banshee," Allison realized, "Or a Reaper."

* * *

At the lake house, Natalie showed Landon a scrap of paper, "This was the last thing your grandmother wrote down before she died." Landon looked over the paper curiously as his mother continued talking, "Don't even know why I kept it because it's basically nonsense."

"Are you  _absolutely_  sure Grandma's dead?" Landon asked.

"Yes." Ms. Martin said, but a split second she seemed unsure herself, "I mean, she has to be."

"This isn't nonsense, Mom." Landon told her knowingly, "It's code." The scrap of paper included what looked to be like the Benefactor's code.

* * *

When Stiles arrived to the loft she was shocked at the scene before her, "Holy Hell," Stiles said as she looked at all the guns that made been laid out of the metal table, "It's like - the fricken Walmart of guns."

She reached out to pick one up, when Derek's hand appeared and smacked it away, "Okay, rude, you smacked my hand away." When she looked up, Derek was staring right at her with a serious face, "Uh-oh." She found herself saying, "You know."

"Yeah," Derek said slowly making his way around the metal table, "Yeah, I do."

"How is that-" She began to question, until her mind went back to her conversation with, "Braeden."

"I  _hired_  her remember." Derek said in an obvious tone, "You, however, did not."

"It would've been Allison, but we needed her." She reasoned quickly, "Wait why you're not mad or nuts right now?" She asked alarmed, "Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm not okay with you having a face off Kate-" Derek said making his way around the table.

"Now I know Isaac told you," Stiles said accusingly backing away, "That was a totally surprise I swear."

"Isaac didn't say anything actually," Derek told her getting a look, "If I focus hard enough I can get bits and pieces of what you're thinking."

"Well that must be a good sign, right?"

"Don't change the subject," Derek huffed, "You sent Braeden here to distract me from what was really going on." He continued making his way toward Stiles, only for her to back up into a column.

"You're just mad because she kicked your butt a lot in arm wrestling." Stiles relished with a smile, "I know, she told me."

"And you didn't tell me about that terrible plan you guys came up with."

"Everyone says that about our plans." Stiles told him, not breaking the eye contact, "You in particular."

"Most don't involve in fake deaths."

"At least it wasn't to a sacrificial tree." Stiles offered, only for Derek to give a deadpanned stare, "Okay fine. No more plans involving people faking deaths or having accidental run-ins with psychopaths exs. Scout's honor."

"Also know you were never really a scout, either."

"I was for like a day."

"You bit the troop leader."

"Not the point right now," Stiles deflected moving away, "I'll keep my word if you avoid getting shot in the near future."

"Fine."

"Great." Stiles told him as she walked over to the table and picked up a gun.

"What do you think you're doing?" Derek asked as she pointed the gun straight at him. "Put that down."

"Don't worry," Stiles told him as she locked the safety in place, "I'm a horrible shot."

"Good cause I would hate to get shot again."

"You're funny," Stiles shot at him with a serious glare, "Now try to get the gun away from me."

"Should be easy enough."

"And no childish moves."

"I can say the same for you."

"Stop stalling and come at me." Stiles challenged him with a smirk.

Without needing anymore encouragement, Derek glided his way towards Stiles. Stiles was ready as she watched him carefully as he reached out to take a hold of her hand that had the gun. However she was ready and managed to side-stepped out of the way. It happened multiple times.

"You can do better than this." Stiles encouraged him, "You did it before. You can do it again."

Derek gave her a firm head nod as he stepped his way over again. Only this time, instead of reaching for the gun like he normally had been doing, Derek simply leaned as if he were going in for a kiss, with Stiles completely distracted by the action, he pushed the barrel of the gun into her stomach.

Stiles gave him a pleased look, "You suck." Stiles whispered to him fondly with a grin forming on her face.

"I'm learning how to bend." Derek whispered, taking the gun out of her hand and setting it on the table.

"Wonder where I’ve heard that before."

Derek gave her a small smile as he leaned in brushing their lips together. In reaction, Stiles automatically wrapped her hands on the back of his neck, meshing their bodies together, as she jumped easily into his arms with Derek catching her easily.

Without even breaking their kiss, Derek knocked the weapons to the side as she removed his shirt. She peeled a piece of the bandage off and placed her hand right over the wound, Derek could feel his skin starting to mend together.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked pulling away, but Stiles tighten the grip she had around his neck.

"Let me just do this." Stiles pleaded to him looking him dead in the eyes, while pressing their foreheads together, "Let me do  _something_  about what Kate has done."

Derek moved her hand away from the wound, entwining them together, "No." and before Stiles could protest he sealed her mouth with his once again as he caused their bodies to rock together, catching Stiles off guard a second time.

She wrapped her legs around his waist again as Derek gripped her around the waist. He lifted her and carried her to the bed, tossing her gently on the bed as he towered over her as he too removed her shirt and started kissing down her stomach to her sides over the three scars on her body.

"I think get it." Stiles commented. Derek doesn't comment on the statement as he made his way back up and the two looked at each other as if they were trying to figure out what the other was thinking. Stiles cupped her hand on his cheek and ran a thumb on his cheek, "And we'll get through this. Just like we always do. This time together."

"Together." Derek agreed as he placed his lips on her once more, making their bodies move in sync.

Sometime during the night, Derek woke up to the sound of someone snoring. It took a second for him to realize that it was Stiles who had her face burrowed in his neck as she had wrapped her arm around him. He carefully moved her arm off him so he could turn over and watched her sleep, "I can feel you staring. I'm going to need you to stop, it's really creepy." Stiles drawled with her eyes still closed.

"I don't like guns."

"I know you don't," Stiles stated with one eye opened, "And I'm sorry for doing what I did."

"Then why did you do that?" Derek questioned sitting up from the bed.

Stiles opened both her eyes this time, lifting her head up resting it under her arm, "Because I can see you doubting yourself that's why. I wanted you to know that even without your wolf powers you can still find some way to defend yourself. Even if you don't believe it just yet."

Derek brushed her face gently, "Go back to sleep."

"You may not have your power, but you still have that bossy attitude." She told him, falling back asleep.

Derek waited till Stiles was still asleep, before making his way to the table. He straightened out some of the weapons and simply stared at them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "Stiles, are you going through my stuff?" The Sheriff asked with a mix of surprise and anger.
> 
> "Yeah, I go through all of your stuff." She admitted to him, "Especially when you keep things from me."
> 
> "I keep things from you because you don't need to know everything." The Sheriff remarked angrily.
> 
> "Yes, I do." Stiles countered, sitting up from her bed, "I have to know everything." She admitted, "How the hell else am I supposed to take care of you?" She indicated with a wave of her arm, "I'd heal myself right now so we can avoid all this, but I've got a freakin' bullet lodged in my shoulder."
> 
> XXXX
> 
> "She predicted her own death." Landon said realizing the same thing, "She knew I'd figure it out."
> 
> "Once you were able to predict your own." Brunski said to them from beside the door just as he closed it shut. Both Stiles and Landon looked at him in fear, "But they weren't murders." Brunski said defensively, "I'm not some serial killer like Ted Bundy going around cutting up college girls."
> 
> "No, you're just an Angel of Death." Stiles snapped at him.
> 
> "I don't think you understand my level of commitment to my work here, Stiles." Brunski said with some offense, "There are people here who don't simply need treatment. They need release. I helped them. I helped Lorraine."
> 
> Landon realized what he meant, "You killed her." He whispered.
> 
> "I helped her." Brunski corrected him, "And now you can help me. Because there is something about it that's always bothered me."
> 
> He held up a cassette with "Lorraine Martin" written in felt tip pen.


	17. Perishable pt.1

Another night had just settled in when Deputy Parrish woke up and found himself in a predicament. Predicament may have been the wrong word since he found himself tied to the steering wheel of a sheriff's cruiser with plastic handcuffs. He notice that someone was standing out the vehicle, "Hey! Hey, what are you doing?" He questioned the figure that was now moving around. He struggled against the handcuffs, but it was useless, "Listen... Listen to me! I'm a Deputy with the Beacon Hills Sheriff's Department..."

It wasn't until the figure stepped into the streetlight did he see who is was, "Damn." Haigh said with some disappointment, "I was hoping you'd be out longer."

"Haigh?" Jordan questioned, "What the hell?" His eye fell onto the container Haigh had labeled gasoline, "What are you doing?"

"You're a good guy, Parrish." The deputy told him, "But the list says you're worth five million dollars."

"What?" Jordan questioned, "I don't know what you're talking about." It only took him a second to realize that Haigh was about to kill him for the Benefactor, "Haigh, listen... I mean, I barely make $40,000 a year."

"I only make 36." Haigh said angrily and with that he continued pouring gasoline around the car just as Jordan was screaming at him

"Haigh, please!" He begged, "Just stop! You don't have to do this." He said desperately, "Look, if you're having money problems..."

"You're worth five million  _dead_ , Parrish." Haigh repeated, "Sounds like  _you_  got the problem."

"Please... Please, don't do this." Jordan tried once more as Haigh stood beside the open window, "You're just gonna stand there?" He questioned, "You're just gonna listen to a fellow Deputy burn to death?"

However, Haigh doesn't listen to a single word his partner said and plugged in his ear phones, "Haigh, wait... No, wait! Wait!"

Parrish begged just Haigh before lit his zippo lighter and tossed it into the open window of the car. Parrish screamed as the entire vehicle was consumed by fire as Haigh watched the scene.

* * *

Stiles and Landon were at the Sheriff's Station giving Stilinski the latest information that Landon found out, "It's not just that she could still be alive." Stiles theorized to her father.

"It's that she would've had to fake her death." Landon explained.

"Your grandmother, Lorraine Martin, faked her death?" Sheriff Stilinski asked confused.

"Definitely." Stiles stated without hesitation since it was the only thing that would actually make sense.

"Maybe." Landon said sensing that something about everything that he had found still wasn't making some sense.

"But it's more than likely."

"Oh," The Sheriff questioned with some disbelief, "I'm guessing you got a story to back this up?"

"She  _might_  be helping The Benefactor." Stiles told him.

"Or _is_  The Benefactor." Landon admitted to them. He hated to say it out aloud, but he was really hoping that his supposedly dead grandmother was not responsible for all the deaths.

"That sounds like a story worth hearing." Sheriff Stilinski told them.

Outside the sheriff's office, Haigh reported to the Benefactor via computer and requested his money wire transfer for Parrish's death just as Sheriff Stilinski stepped out of his office, "Anybody seen Parrish?" He asked, but no one around had so he went to Haigh, "Haigh?"

"Haven't seen him." Haigh said to him casually. Sheriff made a disgruntle face and was about to head back inside his office when the person he was looking for appeared.

Jordan Parrish was not dead. He was the exact opposite to be exact, covered in soot (not to mention highly pissed), and dressed in the barest remains of his burned clothing, Parrish walked straight into the Sheriff's Station, which caught Haigh's attention, "Holy..." He commented.

Jordan zeroed in on him and made his way straight for Haigh who drew his service weapon, "You're dead." Haigh commented in a panic. Haigh doesn't get to make a shot as Parrish grabbed him by the arm and slammed him against the wall.

"Hey. Hey!" The Sheriff said to his deputies, noticing them fighting. But Parrish wasn't listening at all to the Sheriff's orders to stop. Instead, Parrish threw Haigh to the ground and began punching him in the face continuously.

Stiles and Landon rushed outside the office to see what was going on just as the gun Haigh had when off and stroke Stiles in the shoulder, causing her to fall down in pain.

"But you're dead!" Haigh cried out just before Parrish gave him another punch to the face, knocking him unconscious.

The Sheriff rushed to Stiles' aide, while Landon observed the scene before them along with a confused Parrish, who was looking at Stiles, now holding onto her bleeding shoulder.

On the computer screen behind Jordan a message "KILL NOT CONFIRMED" appeared.

* * *

Stiles was watching the Sheriff fill out forms in the hospital, "All right, ummm...Mie-" The doctor said already butchering the first part of the name.

"Stiles." The Sheriff cuts him off quickly in a tired tone, "Just call her Stiles."

The doctor gave them a nod and looked over the paperwork, "I've got you scheduled for surgery first thing in the morning." The doctor informed her, "Unfortunately, it's going to take a little digging to get that slug out of your shoulder."

"That sounds quite enjoyable."

"Kid, if that’s what it takes it's happening." The Sheriff told her as he continued signing, "One more. What's this part here? This line?" He asked pointing at one of the lines on the forms.

"Patient Responsibility." The doctor explained to him, "Parts of the procedure and hospital stay not covered by insurance."

"Are those big parts?" Stiles questioned worried from her bed, "Expensive parts?"

"That's between you and your insurance unfortunately." The doctor informed them with a sullen tone, "You should start feeling the morphine in a minute or two. Try to get some rest, Stiles." He advised just as he left.

Stiles started to chew on her thumbnail, "Hey, stop that." Her father ordered, "I was just curious about the terminology." He assured her, "We're not in any kind of dire straits."

Stiles dropped her thumbnail tiredly, "I know about the bills, Dad." Stiles confessed before her father could go any farther into lying, "I know about the collectors calling about Eichen House." She continued to spill, "I know about the advance from the department, about the credit cards."

"Stiles, are you going through my stuff?" The Sheriff asked with a mix of surprise and anger.

"Yeah, I go through  _all_  of your stuff." She admitted to him, "Especially when you keep things from me."

"I keep things from you because you don't need to know everything." The Sheriff remarked angrily.

"Yes, I do." Stiles countered, sitting up from her bed, "I  _have_  to know everything." She admitted, "How the hell else am I supposed to take care of you?" She indicated with a wave of her good arm, "I'd heal myself right now so we can avoid all this, but I've got a freakin' bullet lodged in my shoulder."

"You're not supposed to take care of me!" He snapped, "I'm the dad. You're the daughter. You get it?" He pointed to himself, "Dad." Then he pointed at her, "Daughter. I take care of you."

Stiles laid back down, "We're supposed to take care of each other."

The Sheriff noticed the look of worry on her face, "Hey, we're going to be all right."

"How do you know, Dad?"

"I don't." The Sheriff admitted, "But we'll figure out something. You just rest and let me handle it." The Sheriff kissed her on top of her forehead, "I've got to get back to the station and deal with Haigh."

"I'll take care of her." Derek told the Sheriff as he made his way to the door. Sheriff Stilinski stopped and gave Derek a quiet shoulder squeeze and a weak smile and left.

Derek made his way over to the hospital bed as Stiles placed a finger right back into her mouth, only for him to remove it, "Funny how a week ago I told you not to get shot and yet here I am in the hospital because I did. Talk about Karma."

"Why didn't you saying anything?"

"What?"

Derek repeated, "Why didn't you say anything?" as he took a seat next to the bedside. Stiles made a heavy sigh.

"Because...you have other problems to worry about." Stiles told him, "With whatever the hell Kate did to you and her still being out there..." She trailed quietly, "Not to mention, I'm still working on who or what wants every creature of the night I know dead, including you by the way. There's enough for you to worry about. The Stilinski money problem isn't going to be one of them."

"I thought you said we were in this together?"

"We are."

"Doesn't feel like it," Derek retorted, "Didn't you say it is a two-way street."

"Don't use my words against me," Stiles reacted tiredly, "You were being an ass and wouldn't let me help you."

"So it's okay for me to take your help when I don't want it," Derek questioned, "But when I want to do it all bets are off?"

"Yes."

"No, I'm taking care of this." Derek argued in a strong tone.

"You're out less than 117 million dollars," Stiles reminded him, "You  _definitely_  cannot be helping anyone right now."

"Peter's the one who got robbed, not me."

Stiles gave a slow head roll and looked tiredly at Derek, "Are you saying there's another vault?"

Derek smirked, "No."

"Then how-"

"I'll tell you later." He assured her, "Just know I'm taking care of it."

"No, you are not."

"Yes, I am," Derek told her in stronger tone, "The last time I let you handle your own problem you..." He trailed off.

"Highly doubt I'll get possessed by another one." Stiles told him, voice trailing off slowly.

"That's not my point." Derek told her in a strained tone that causes Stiles to become more alert, "I lost you once," He stated in a low tone, gripping her hand, "I'm not going to lose you again."

A silence fell over them as Stiles leaned back into her bed and closed her eyes, "The only reason...I'm not fighting you on this," Stiles whispered in a hazy like tone, "Is because the morphine's kicked in." With that being her last comeback she drifted off to sleep.

"Good." Derek muttered just as Isaac entered the room.

"What are we going to do now?" Isaac whispered to him.

"We're going to figure out what that deputy is."

* * *

Landon and the others were already at the loft with Parrish trying to gain some sense of what happened, but none of them could come up with anything.

"He covered you in gasoline?" Derek questioned him looking a bit unsure after Parrish told him his story.

"It's the hair and nails, isn't it?" Landon questioned him, "The parts of the body that are essentially dead."

"Well, they should be gone." Derek commented as he continued looking Parrish's hands that seemed to have remain unharmed.

"I was set on fire." Jordan commented still in shock over what happened, "All of me should be gone."

"Not if you're like us." Scott told him.

"Like you?" He asked now confused and looked at the group before him.

"I don't think he's like us." Derek commented in an obvious tone.

"Then what is he?" Allison asked him.

"Sorry, but I have no idea."

"Aren't you supposed to know these kind of things?" Scott questioned him, "I mean you knew about Kira."

"This is a little out of my experience." Derek admitted to them, "There might be something in the bestiary." He suggested, before switching over to Allison, "Did you try your Dad?"

"I don't know where he is." Allison admitted to them, "Ever since we ran into Kate, he has been going off on his own."

"He's more than likely onto something." Scott offered.

"Remember how well that turned out?" Landon reminded them.

"Okay, hold on." Jordan said interrupting everyone's questioning for the whereabouts of Chris Argent, "What's a bestiary? Actually, that's not even my first question." He admitted to them, "Just... Just tell me one thing. Are all of you like Landon?" He asked the group, "Are you all psychic?"

"Psychic?" Derek asked slightly amused and gave Landon an eyebrow raise.

"Yeah." Scott said with a slight tick, "Not exactly."

"Okay." Jordan said calmly, "Then what are you?"

Scott gave him the answer by showing him his Alpha Red eyes. He looked at Derek, Landon, and Allison for some kind of a sign. Derek had remained stone faced with his arms crossed, Landon just gave him a small shoulder shrug, and Allison simply stated, "Don't look at me, I'm just a markswoman."

* * *

For the next couple of hours, Derek, Landon, Allison, and Scott had been trying to explain the supernatural to Deputy Parrish, but it wasn't going exactly as planned.

"What's a Kanima?" Jordan asked once again.

"We'll get back to that." Scott told him, "Just know that everyone like us, everyone with some kind of supernatural  _ability_  is on the dead pool. Well, except for Peter, Stiles, and Isaac."

"And you're assuming it's because of the mate thing?" Jordan guessed toward Derek, who gave him a nod for guessing correctly, "And Peter and Isaac's reasons are still unknown." He concluded, "But…but I don't even know what I am."

"I'm pretty sure they don't care." Derek told him.

Jordan just took that as a given since he was burnt alive not so long ago and decided to move on, "How many professional assassins are we talking about?"

"We're starting to lose count." Allison informed him.

"But is it still just professionals?" Scott questioned.

"I don't think Haigh's ever tried anything like this." Jordan admitted to them, "I think he was taking a chance."

"That means anyone with the dead pool could take a chance." Landon realized.

"But if Haigh had it, then who else does?" Jordan wondered, "How easy is it to get this thing now?"

* * *

At his house, Liam was trying to sleep, but he awoken by the sound of his printer which began to spit out page after page of the dead pool list.

The version of the "ERICA" list had some names crossed off and one name conspicuously absent and replaced with another.

~~SEAN WALCOTT 250~~

~~DAVID WALCOTT 250~~

~~MICHAEL WALCOTT 250~~

~~CHRISTINA WALCOTT 250~~

LANDON MARTIN 20

SCOTT MCCALL 25

~~DEMARCO MONTANA 250~~

ISSAC LAHEY 15

~~CARRIE HUDSON 250~~

On the list where Derek Hale's name used to be between DeMarco and Carrie, Isaac's name had replaced it. Derek's name had been completely erased.

The "BOYD" list now had a few names crossed off as well.

KATE ARGENT 12

NOSHIKO YUKIMURA 5

JOANNE MCLAUGHLIN 1

~~STEVE GRACE 1~~

TOM HILL 1

BRETT TALBOT 1

~~REED SCHULL 250~~

~~RICHARD BENEFIELD 250~~

Liam tried to stop the printer, but the machine continued. He decided to finally unplug it and the pages stop.

* * *

"Meredith was only at my grandmother's Lake House once." Landon shared with them, "But I think once was enough."

"How did your grandmother know her?" Derek wondered.

"She didn't. She found her." He explained to them, "Because of another woman named Maddy. The woman she loved."

"I never met her, but I saw her name everywhere." He said as his mind flashed into the past, "She used to be part of a yacht racing team. There were plaques and trophies in the lake house from all the regattas she'd won."

"How did she die?" Jordan asked.

"How's not the story." Landon told him, "It's what happened right before." He shared, "My grandmother, Lorraine, used to work in San Francisco for IBM. She was there on a weekend, catching up on work. She started hearing this sound... Like rain."

_Years ago Lorraine Martin can hear the sound of rain from the outside of her workstation._

"But when she looked out the windows..." Landon continued.

_When Lorraine turns toward the window there is nothing out of the ordinary. It was a nice sunny blue sky._

"All she saw was blue sky." Landon told them.

"But she kept hearing the rain?" Scott questioned.

"And it just kept getting louder." Landon confirmed, "Rain and thunder cracking like gunshots in her head. So loud. She finally just screamed."

"Like a Banshee." Allison commented.

"She called Maddy who was planning on taking one of the boats out on the lake." Landon continued with the story, "But Maddy said that the sun was shining there too. So Lorraine didn't say anything."

"There was an accident?" Jordan questioned. Landon nodded his head.

_Maddy is caught by the sudden storm. Her boat tips over and she drowns._

"It took them four days to find Maddy's body." Landon concluded, "And then it took decades to figure out how Lorraine knew." He said to them.

_Lorraine spent several decades trying to figure out how she knew Maddy was going to die before it happened. She brought in Parapsychologists who designed the study in the lake house based on the very latest (at the time) according to every pseudo-scientific theory they could find. They brought in the red record player and speakers._

"She started with parapsychologists, like the PhD in their name made it more scientific. They built the study in the lake house according to every pseudoscientific theory they could find. None of it worked."

_Lorraine pushes piles of paperwork off her office desk in frustration._

"So then she started going to more  _extreme_  occult. Things like mediums and psychics. All of them were failures. Until she found Meredith." He showed Scott, Derek, and Jordan the old photo that was found in Meredith's box.

"They found her in Eichen House." Landon explained to them, "This fragile girl who didn't understand the things she heard. They brought her to the study. And they almost killed her. She was hospitalized for over a year. She... never really recovered." He said.

_A group of four paranormal experts brought a young Meredith to the lake house, placed headphones on her and then turned on the red record player. Meredith has a seizure and began bleeding from the ears._

"My grandmother drove her  _insane_  I drove her to  _suicide_." Landon finished sadly, "And all she ever wanted to do was help. My grandmother created the code for the dead pool. They think she's the Banshee who put the names out in the first place. She left me this message in the same code."

Landon held up the piece of the code his mother had given him, "But she didn't leave a cipher key, did she?" Scott asked. Landon just shook his head.

* * *

Deputy Parrish returned to his department SUV and stared at his unblemished hands.

At the hospital, Isaac stepped outside the hall, when his phone started to buzz, "Anything?"

"No idea," Derek informed him tiredly, "How is she?"

"She's asleep right now, she woke up earlier having a nightmare, but I managed to calm her down." Isaac shared with him, looking through the glass, "The doctor came in checked on her. Other than the nightmare, she's good. What about you? Not being you know...you."

"It's a works in progress." Derek told him.

While Derek was on the phone with Isaac, Scott and Allison had both noticed the handgun that laid on top of Derek's bed. Scott reached out to touch it, "Careful with that." Derek told them clearly not on the phone anymore.

"How is she?" Scott asked.

"She had another nightmare, but Isaac managed to handle it. She's resting, like she's supposed to even if she is highly medicated."

"I thought you didn't like guns." Allison stated with some worry.

"Does this have something to do with your eyes?" Scott asked remembering the night at the school when Derek had returned to his normal self.

"My eyes, my strength, the healing... All of it." Derek confessed to them, "Even the bond."

"Gone?" Scott questioned in awe.

"Whatever Kate did to me," Derek told them, "It's still happening."

"It's not just effecting you. It's effecting Stiles." Scott commented as he remembered the conversation he had with Stiles at the lake house and her reaction at the school.

"What's wrong with Stiles?" Allison questioned.

"She sometimes sends me flying across the room." Derek told them, "That's about it, but since we don't know all of what she can fully do that may not be a good thing."

"She may actually hurt someone or worse." Allison realized. Allison couldn't help, but feel bad that her aunt was once again the reason why Derek was in a rough patch. Whatever, she did to him wasn't making Derek the Derek she came to know and now Stiles was in a position she prayed never happened again, "If the dead pool really was made by a Banshee then there's something else that you should know about." Allison told him, "Your name broke the third list. It was a cipher key."

"And the two other keys were Erica and Boyd." Scott shared as well.

"And I... I don't want to make you nervous," Allison told him, "But it kind of feels like there might be a pattern there, doesn't it? Erica, Boyd... You."

"Members of my old pack and names picked by a Banshee." Derek stated plainly.

"It... It could mean that you're in danger." Allison theorized to him.

"Allison, Banshees don't predict danger." Derek told her, "They predict death." He said calmly, "Which I assume is another thing Stiles was worrying about, but didn't tell me."

"Actually…" Allison trailed off throwing Scott a look.

"What?" Derek questioned the couple when they exchanged unsure glances at each other.

"Stiles doesn't know that your name is the one used to break the final half," Scott confessed to him, "We didn't know how she would react, so we gave her an altered list."

There was a beat of silence between them, "Not the worst idea you came up with." Derek finally said eyeing between the two teens, "Whose name did you give her?"

* * *

Liam was feeling paranoid. Paranoid as in when he walked into school it seemed as if everyone was talking about him and laughing. But that wasn't what bothered him the most. He kept seeing flashes of what appeared to be a Berserker in the hallway and it forced him to remember the fight on the Beacon Hills Hospital roof.

"Liam!" Mason's voice rang into his ear snapping him out of the memory, "Hey. Am I gonna see you at the bonfire tonight?"

"I'm thinking about skipping it." Liam confessed to his friend as he looked down the hall only to see that the so-called Berserker was gone.

"You're not skipping." Mason said fully confident.

"Why not?"

"Because you're on the lacrosse team." Mason pointed out, "Don't you have to go?"

"I don't," Then Liam caught another flash of what appeared to be a berserker, "Uh... I... I don't think I can make it."

"You're coming." Mason said with a shoulder bump, "And we're gonna find you a nice girl that you can embarrass yourself in front of and find me a lacrosse player." Mason said playfully, "Because statistically speaking, someone on your team has gotta be on my team. All right?" But Liam doesn't answer because he was still staring at the berserker that was still standing in the hall, "Liam?" Mason asked worriedly.

"Okay." Liam said hurriedly, "I'll be there." And completely ran off.

* * *

There was a beeping of Stiles' printer indicating that she was out of paper. She had finally been released from the hospital after two days, with her arm in a slang and was now with Landon agonizing over the keyword they needed to decipher the message Lorraine Martin left for him, "Try Maddy." Stiles suggested lifting her head from the desk, "It's got to be Maddy."

"Doesn't Maddy feel a little  _obvious_  as a cipher key?" Landon questioned.

"I guarantee it's Maddy." Stiles told him.

Landon does type in MADDY as the keyword, but the computer and the printer made a beeping sound and gave them the ERROR message.

Stiles made a tsk sound and began racking her brain, "Okay, your name." Stiles offered, "She left the code for you, right? So it's got to be your name."

Without question, Landon typed in LANDON, but they end up with the same two beeps from before.

"Your mom's name?"

Another beep from both machines and an error message, "Do you have any beloved family pets?" Stiles asked as a last ditch effort.

Landon just gave her a look, "Stiles, my dog is not the key to every supernatural thing there is."

"It was worth a shot."

* * *

In the locker room Coach was talking to his players, "All right... Now I know the start of season bonfire, it's a big deal for you guys. I also know it gets out-of-hand sometimes." He informed them, "The alumni show up, there's other teams, and alcohol. Lots and lots of alcohol."

The team cheered except for Liam who still looking stressed and Scott who seemed to be preoccupied.

"All right." Coach said trying to calm his team down, but they continued on cheering, "Shut up!" He snapped at them, which worked, "Now, what I don't understand is why anybody would ever want to get stumbling down drunk in front of a massive open fire, I'm also resigned to not being able to stop you guys."

This provoked another cheer from the team. Scott also noticed Liam's state of mind.

"I also remind you, your team captain, McCall, will be there." He said to them, "And I can count on him to narc on any and every one of these little bastards." Liam took off, "Get back to class."

Just as Scott was ready to head from Liam, he looked up to see that Liam was gone.

* * *

Stiles sighed in desperation as they continued to get nowhere with breaking the coded message, "The ashes were left for you." Stiles voiced as she paced back and forth, "The code was left for you." Landon nodded with agreement as Stiles sat next to him, "You're supposed to be able to figure this out."

"But no one else is." Landon inputted, "Which is why she made it hard."

The printer also had continued beeping and it finally got on Stiles' nerve, "That's it!" Stiles jumped up and feed a stack of blank paper into the machine. The printer made a whirring sound and Stiles made a small sigh, but then something started to click, "You... "No one else."" She mumbled to herself, "No one else but you." She repeated staring at Landon.

"What?" Landon asked noticing the look he was getting.

"Our guesses. They're all about Lorraine. Right?" Stiles said as she was starting to place the pieces together, "We keep trying to guess a word that has something to do with  _her_. So, maybe we should be trying to guess one that's about  _you_."

"Me?" Landon asked not sure at what Stiles was getting at, "What about me?"

"What do you remember doing with your grandmother?" She asked hurriedly, "You know, what was you guys', like, special thing? Did you guys go to the beach? You know, did you like ice cream or..."

"We read." Landon told her.

"Okay." Stiles accepted easily, "What did you read?"

"Beauty and the Beast."

"You read that movie?" Stiles asked confused.

"It was a book first." Landon told her, "Michael Hague."

"Type it in. "Michael." Stiles suggested, but that doesn't work and they get another ERROR message.

"We read it every night." Landon lamented, "I got so obsessed with it, for three months I wouldn't respond to anything but Adam. Because he was the only Disney prince with red-hair." He smiled, "It drove my parents crazy, but... Grandma thought it was adorable."

Landon quickly typed in ADAM as the keyword and the computer made another beeping sound. Only this time a list of names appeared.

TAMRA JOHANSEN

ALICE DUFFY

PAULA BRASCH

TREY LOCKHART

JOSH MORRIS

* * *

Scott was on the search for Liam, but he didn't have to go far since he was sitting on the stairs at the end of the hall, "Hey." Scott said softly, seeing that Liam was kind of dazed out, "You okay?" But he doesn't get answer gave placed a hand on Liam's shoulder which seemed to snap him back to reality, "Hey."

"Last night my printer went off by itself." Liam told him, "I couldn't turn it off. I hit the cancel button. But it just kept printing."

"Printing what?" Liam handed over the dead pool to Scott just as another voice filled the air.

"What the hell's this?" Coach shouted. They rushed to his office and found page after page of the dead pool coming from Coach's printer and spreading out across the floor.

* * *

In Stiles' room, the remaining names were shown.

ELISA CHIN

PETER MCELROY

TAYLOR FREEMAN

TERRANCE SHUMAN

LORRAINE MARTIN

"You recognize any of these?" Stiles asked showing Landon the rest of the list.

"Just my grandmother." Landon told her.

However, Stiles printer was also going off and printing of the updated deadpool, "Landon..." Stiles said when she realized what was happening, "We need to call Scott."

* * *

At school, Scott retrieved one of the pages from the floor of Coach's office, "You see the difference?" Liam asked him.

"Derek's not on the list anymore, but Isaac is now." Scott said wondering what exactly did that mean.

"And I'm not worth three million." Liam pointed out, "It's 18 now. $18 million."

The other change was that Meredith Walkers name, just below Liam's, was also crossed off the list.

* * *

Stiles and Landon were already at the Sheriff's Station having Deputy Parrish run new names of the list, "Well, it's not another dead pool." He informed and both Landon and Stiles had a sense of relief, "More like an already dead pool."

"All of them?" Landon questioned, "All dead?"

"Within the last 10 years." Deputy Parrish shared with them as he typed some more information into the computer, "All suicides. And all at the same place."

"Eichen House." Stiles read off the screen, she doesn't read any father because she noticed that Parrish staring at her, "What?"

"I'm sorry about your arm." He told her.

Stiles patted him on the shoulder, "Don't worry. Still going to keep you."

* * *

In the Beacon Hills High School courtyard, a "metal cyclone" was rigged with natural gas jets and set on fire with a torch. The flames raced up the cone-shaped sculpture eliciting shouts from the crowd of students. The DJ began to spin and the crowd swayed and jumped to the music.

One of the Security Guards approached the DJ booth. The two lean in close to each other and exchanged words. There were several other, identically dressed, security guards watching the crowd. A number of the students were drinking from red solo cups while others drank straight from flasks and bottles. Scott noticed the lacrosse team was all decked out in their jerseys.

Peering out into the crowd, Scott noticed Micah on slight rise overlooking the action. He was dancing and drinking from a silver flask. "Hey." Scott said getting his attention, "What are you doing here?"

"Getting drunk." He said while still dancing and held up his silver flask, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to make sure no one gets hurt." Scott said looking at the chaos around him.

"That sounds fun too." Micah said taking another drink from the flask.

"I don't want to ruin your night or anything, but we kind of can't get drunk." Scott told the werecoyote.

"What?" He questioned as he stopped dancing.

"I think it has something to do with our healing." Scott explained to him, "But, trust me, I've tried." Scott said remembering the night after the school, "You're not gonna feel anything."

"Maybe you should tell him that." Micah said pointing over to Liam, who was sitting on a picnic table with Mason. Liam was pouring booze into a plastic pop bottle and guzzling it down.

* * *

Stiles and Landon were now trying to figure how exactly they were going to get the files from Eichen House, "Landon, Eichen House isn't a library." She informed him, "You need a  _warrant_  to get files from there."

"You can't just do whatever you to get us in?"

"Oh, now you want to me use it.” This earned her a don’t-play-with-me look, Stiles took a breath, “There's something about that place... if I ever used my powers in there it didn't go well." Stiles told him.

“What do you mean?”

Stiles bit her lower lip, “It used my mom-”

“Don’t,” Landon interrupted her gently understanding already, "We’ll just have to find another way because my grandmother left me a list of 10 suicides,  _including_  her own." Landon said, “Is there anyone there who's willing to help us?"

"No, but there might be someone willing to take a  _bribe_." Landon knew exactly who Stiles was talking about.

* * *

Back at the bonfire, "Not gonna tell me to slow down?" Liam questioned Mason who handed him another cup.

"Actually, I was gonna say, "Keep drinking". I think you should get drunk." Mason told him, "And I mean stumbling down, fall on your ass, passed out with your face in a toilet drunk."

"Why?" Liam questioned.

"Maybe then when I ask you what's going on, you'll be too drunk to lie." Mason confessed to him, "I'm not asking this because I want to know. I'm asking because I want to help."

Liam noticed Scott with Micah, "I'm gonna get another drink." He got to stand, but was overcome with a wavy of dizziness, "Yeah... I'm getting drunk."

All the while the music had continued to play.

* * *

"A thousand." Brunski told Stiles and Landon as he sat behind his office desk with Stiles and Landon standing in front of him.

"A thousand dollars?" Stiles questioned outraged, "To use one little key to open up one little file room?" Brunski seemed unimpressed at Stiles' outburst, "Are you out of your mind?"

"When you get the keys, you make the price." He said with his arms crossed.

"Right." Stiles said with some disdain, "You actually think we have that kind of money?"

"I know you don't." He said pointedly, "If you did, Daddy Sheriff would've paid the bill by now." Stiles may or may not have wanted to send the man flying, "That's why I'm talking to him." He looked over at Landon.

"I have $500." Landon told him as he went through his wallet.

He placed the money on Brunski's desk as Brunski turned to his cassette boombox, pressed eject, took out a tape and flipped it over before reinserting it and pressing play. Stiles and Landon realized the cassette (labeled "mixtape") was identical to the ones distributed by The Benefactor.

Brunski picked up the money, sniffed it, grabbed his keys, and said, "Follow me." As he led them to the filing room.

* * *

At the bonfire, Scott was trying to explain everything to Micah, but the boy wasn't having any of it, "I just want to talk." Scott reasoned to him.

"Well, I just want to dance." Micah shot at him as he started back up to dancing.

"We had our reasons." Scott tried, "We didn't tell you about Peter..."

"To protect me." Micah told him, "That's what Peter said you would say." He shared with Scott, "And guess what he said next? That you were right. Does that surprise you?"

"No." Scott admitted, "It makes me wonder what he wants." He said suspiciously, "Micah, we need to stay together. You, me, Isaac, Stiles..."

"I don't want to talk about Isaac or Stiles." He told Scott clearly not over the deception he had gotten from the two, "I just want to dance and get drunk." His words slurred as he walked away.

"Micah..." Scott said worriedly, Micah almost fell down when he does get walk away. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Micah released a drunk laugh, "You are drunk." Scott realized.

"Yep." Micah said cheerfully.

"But you can't be." Scott said confused. He then noticed Liam was stumbling too.

"Is this what drunk feels like?" Micah asked, "It doesn't feel as good as I hoped."

"I don't think it's supposed to." Scott said now concerned.

* * *

Brunski had opened the door to the Records Room and left Stiles and Landon to their own devices, "Landon, you got the list?" Landon handed Stiles the list, but Stiles noticed that another name appeared on the list, "Landon, why did you write another name on here?"

"I didn't write anything." Landon told her.

"This is your handwriting." She said to him as she handed him the list back.

"Why would I write another name?" Landon questioned confused since he doesn't remember writing one.

"Why would you write  _mine_?" She questioned him.

Just then Brunski appeared from the doorframe, but this time he had a weapon that Stiles was familiar with, "It was the tapes, wasn't it?" Brunski questioned them. He used his high-powered tazer and attacked Landon first.

Stiles released a scream as Landon went down with a groan as Brunski cracked his neck with a smile. He then turned to Stiles, "Your turn, sweetheart."

 


	18. Perishable pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember next update wouldn't be till April 5th. Thanks for understanding you guys! Byieee!

Braeden was dressed in a pantsuit and with a badge hanging on a chain around her neck. She walked into an interrogation room at the Sheriff's Station, "And who the hell are you?" Deputy Haigh questioned her. He was chained to a chair and had still marks from when Parrish punched him. He even wore a bandage over his nose.

"Hello, Deputy." Braeden said with fake pleasantry and smile, "I'm a U.S. Marshal working in conjunction with this office, and I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Yeah, well, I got a question." Haigh stated rudely, "How'd you get those scars?"

"A werewolf." She answered honestly, "How'd you break your nose?"

"What's that supposed to...?" Before he could finish his question Braeden broke his nose with a single punch.

* * *

The music continued playing at the bonfire and Micah was still feeling woozy, "Micah..." Scott said, "What's in this? What did you have to drink?"

"Just vodka." Micah slurred as Scott held up him and took a sniff of the air.

"Stay on your feet," Scott told him as he started to feel the effects as well, "And keep moving."

* * *

Derek and Parrish were looking through the printouts of all the suicides at Eichen House, Parrish realized that they were all reported by "L. Brunski" just as Braeden came out of the interrogation room, "We have a problem." She told him.

"And we may have another one." Parrish told them, "Stiles and Landon are at Eichen House where someone is responsible for 10 supposedly suicides."

"There's another group of assassins at the school targeting Scott and the others." Braeden told them.

"None of them are picking up." Derek informed them in a rough tone.

"Okay, you two go to the school and I will go to Eichen House." Parrish told them, but he could see that Derek was about to protest the idea, "They won't let just let you in." Parrish told him, "Especially since you're just a civilian. I'll have a better chance."

Derek clenched his teeth tightly, "Alright."

* * *

Stiles woke up to the loud sound of someone screaming, "Help us! Help us!" She tried to move, but felt a shooting pain in her left arm. It took a second for her to realize that both of her arms had been tied to a column just across from Landon.

"Someone, help!"

"Landon," Stiles called out to him, biting back the pain, "There's a lot of people screaming for help in a place like this. I don't think anyone's listening."

"Well, I'm open to better ideas." Landon whispered at her, "Because if you didn't notice, all of those suicides were murders."

"That's why she left you the message." Stiles whispered.

"She predicted her own death." Landon said realizing the same thing, "She knew I'd figure it out."

"Once you were able to predict your own." Brunski said to them from beside the door just as he closed it shut. Both Stiles and Landon looked at him in fear, "But they weren't murders." Brunski said defensively, "I'm not some serial killer like Ted Bundy going around cutting up college girls."

"No, you're just an Angel of Death." Stiles snapped at him.

"I don't think you understand my level of commitment to my work here, Stiles." Brunski said with some offense, "There are people here who don't simply need treatment. They need  _release_. I helped them. I helped Lorraine."

Landon realized what he meant, "You killed her." He whispered.

"I helped her." Brunski corrected him, "And now you can help me. Because there is something about it that's always bothered me."

He held up a cassette with "Lorraine Martin" written in felt tip pen.

* * *

Scott brought Micah a bottle water and turned to Mason, who was holding onto Liam, "How much has he have to drink?"

"Not enough to get him like this." Mason informed him.

Scott began to really feel whatever it was and lost his balance. His vision also began to blur, "Something's happening. We need to get them out of here. I think we're gonna have to, um..." He struggled just before falling again.

"How much did you drink?" Mason asked him now concerned.

"Nothing." Scott said, "Not even a sip." Scott began looking around for an alternate cause. He focused his hearing and could just make out a separate track underneath the music the DJ was playing, "It's not the drinks." Scott realized, "It's the  _music_."

* * *

At Eichen House, Brunski pressed play on the cassette deck and Lorraine Martin's voice filled the room.

"What are you...?" Lorraine questioned on the tape, "Brunski, what are you doing?"

"Don't worry, Lorraine." Brunski told her on the tape, "It's going to be all right. You're just going to have a little trouble breathing."

"Landon, look at me." Stiles ordered to the Reaper, who was now frozen from hearing his grandmother's voice, "Don't listen." Stiles pleaded to him and with a low whisper, "Okay, don't listen to it." The sound of Lorraine's heavy breathing filled the room, "Just focus on my voice, Landon." Stiles continued whispering to Landon, "Don't listen to it, block it out. Okay?" But Landon wasn't giving her any kind of response, he was frozen, "Landon?" She questioned worriedly, but still got nothing, "Hey, turn it off!" She shouted to Brunski. If this place didn't meddle with her power she would've definitely sent him flying across the room.

"Stiles I have a way to shut you up for a while." Brunski threatened as he held up a needle with the same sedative he had used on her during her stay at Eichen House, "Except maybe I'll give you a bit more to keep you out a lot longer."

"Stop!" Landon suddenly shouted as Brunski advanced his way to Stiles.

"Then listen... Just listen." Brunski instructed Landon, grabbing his face roughly, "I need your help with this, Landon."

"Please don't..." Lorraine's voice begged on the tape.

"Here it is." He cued to Landon, "This is the part I never understood." He whispered in Landon's ear, "Listen."

Lorraine had gone back to her heavy breathing, "Please don't hurt him." Lorraine begged again.

"Don't hurt who?" Brunski questioned on the tape.

"Adam." Lorraine said and the sound of her breathing stopped on the tape.

* * *

At the bonfire, Scott was struggling against the music, "I have to... I have to turn off the music." He told Mason, "Don't let them out of your sight." Them meaning Liam and Micah, who were now leaning on the tables.

As Scott stumbled toward the stage, the DJ turned up whatever sonic weapon he was using, caused Scott to grimace and collapse in place. Security Guards picked him up. They also grab Micah and Liam, "Wait... Stop. Hey, what are you doing?" Mason protested at them just as he was blocked by another, "These are my friends."

"Your friends are overly intoxicated." The Guard told him, "They need to be escorted out."

"Okay, I'll go with them." Mason offered.

"That won't be necessary."

"I said they're my friends..." Mason said once more trying to follow only to get knocked down to the ground.

* * *

Scott, Micah, and Liam were dumped in a pile just inside the school hallway, "What is that?" Scott question one of the guard who were holding a container, "What are you doing?" As something gets poured on him.

"It's gasoline." The Guard told him and Scott realized that he was another assassin, "Haigh says we gotta burn you."

The tape came to an end and the auto stop function turned it off. Brunski got from the floor and took a metal first aid kit off a nearby shelf, "We get a lot of teenagers trying to break into our drug cabinets." Brunski told them, "Most of the time they don't succeed." Then he looked squarely at Landon and Stiles, "But you two look pretty clever to me."

* * *

At the school, Danny witnessed what happened and was helping Mason off the ground, "What happened?"

"Those guys claim that they're intoxicated." Mason told rubbing his stomach, "Only Liam just two cups and Scott hasn't had anything to drink."

"Scott didn't drink anything?"

"No." Mason told him, "In fact, he said something about the music was making him feel weird."

"The music?" Danny questioned looking around as students and lacrosse players were still partying around.

* * *

Inside the school, Scott attempted to rise, but was kicked back down. The head guard flicked his zippo lighter and smiled like a maniac as Scott's vision blurred again.

Outside, "Make sure no one is coming." Danny told Mason. Mason nodded and turned back to face the crowd.

There had been a tent set up behind the DJ booth. The moment Danny walked in he spotted the gas-powered generator which was providing electricity to the outdoor event. He rushed to it and gave a big yank at the cord pulling it free. As a result, the music and the flashing lights died as the crowd groaned in disappointment.

"It worked?" Mason asked in amazement.

"Yeah it worked." Danny commented clearly pleased.

* * *

From inside the school, Scott could suddenly see clearly. His eyes flashed red as he grabbed the guard's hand and crushed it, closing the lighter and extinguishing the flame.

Braeden picked that moment to show up and bash the guard's head in with the butt of a shotgun. Three more guards started down the hall; As Derek took the first one and shoved him into a locker.

The others attacked and Derek received their punches, but quickly recovered as he returned with an uppercut to the chin of one and a head butt for the other.

The head guard was up on his knees and tried to retrieve his lighter, Braeden kicked him in the head knocking him unconscious.

Seeing all the assassin knocked out Scott looked at Derek in surprise, "What happened to the gun?"

"You're covered in gasoline." Derek reminded him.

"Oh, yeah." Scott said with a nervous laugh.

* * *

Brunski was filling a syringe, "I'll admit, Stiles, I don't have any unusual talents like Landon, but, somehow, I just knew we were gonna get a chance to do this again." He told her as he pressed the needle into her neck.

Stiles struggled against the restraints, but couldn't loosen herself free, "No. No. No." Landon begged as Brunski forced Stiles’ head to the side as he administered the medication into her neck.

"Drop it." A new voice demanded in the room. Brunski turned to see Deputy Parrish armed with his gun leveled right at him, "Take your thumb off that needle and slowly withdraw it from her neck."

"Young Deputy." Brunski mocked, "You're just a kid. I bet you've never even fired a..."

Brunski went silent just as Parrish shot him without hesitation. Deputy Parrish quickly removed the restraints from Stiles and Landon.

"He... He killed my grandmother." Landon told him, "He was  _controlling_  Meredith."

"He used her to create the dead pool." Stiles explained once Parrish got to her restraints.

"And killed her when she tried to help us." Landon explained.

Brunski, who now on the floor gasping, laughed at them, "You..." He said weakly, "You think it was me?" He took a heavy breath and whispered, "That I was controlling her?" He made another rueful laugh, "Idiots... She was controlling me." Brunski told them just before dying.

"Oh, God. It's not him." Landon realized immediately, "He's not The Benefactor."

Meredith appeared from around the corner, "No." She told them calmly as she stepped into the room, "And... He wasn't on my list." She said looking at Brunski's dead body, "But he was a bad person."

Before anyone could really react to the new development, a sudden sound of thump filled the air. Landon turned to see an unconscious Stiles on the floor beside a half empty syringe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "You're not going anywhere." Derek told her when he could see the look on Stiles' face.
> 
> "Ugh," Stiles groaned, "Let me guess thinking too loud."
> 
> "Actually no," Derek said slightly amused, "I just happen to know you so well by now."
> 
> XXXXX
> 
> "Hands where I can see them." Sheriff Stilinski without lowering his weapon.
> 
> "How the hell was I supposed to remember any of that?" Peter asked in his defense.
> 
> "She got it from you." Landon pointed out to him.
> 
> "I was out of my mind." He reminded them, "Do you know what it's like for one of us to be in a coma? Paralyzed but cognizant?" He questioned them, "You try not going crazy."
> 
> "She was listening to you." Deputy Parrish countered.
> 
> "She was listening to the ranting and raving of a lunatic." Peter told him and Landon raised an eyebrow at him, "A former lunatic." He corrected himself, "I'm much healthier now. I had nothing to do with this."
> 
> "If she was following your lead on this," Sheriff Stilinski said to him, "Then how do we know there isn't more?"
> 
> "You were going to use it anyway." Sheriff Stilinski said to him.
> 
> "Stop. Stop it." Landon told them, "This is what she wants. It's why she's here. Look around, Sheriff." He indicated in the room, "There's three people in here right now. Three people still on the dead pool. Me, Parrish... And Meredith."
> 
> "But not him." Deputy Parrish pointed out.
> 
> "Landon's right." Peter told them as he retracted his claws, "We don't want to kill each other."
> 
> "The only person I'm pointing a gun at is you." Sheriff Stilinski said in a dead tone.
> 
> "Then you better make it a perfect shot, Sheriff," Peter advised him, "Because I don't go down easy."
> 
> "I'm willing to bet that a bullet between the eyes doesn't heal real fast..." Sheriff Stilinski countered unmoved, "Not even for your kind."


	19. Monstrous pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! Things didn't go as planned out in the woods (Still went out, but I mixed up the date) Here's Monstrous Part 1! Part 2 will be up later this evening.

Several hours on that same night, Brett and a fellow werewolf named Lori were running through the rain at Beacon Hills High School pursued by assassins with crossbows. They run onto the lacrosse field and the banks of overhead lights began to come on one by one.

In their escape, Lori slipped and Brett rushed back to help her up, "Get up, Lori." He yelled through the rain, "Come on. Run! Run!" Another arrow came at them barely missing Lori who screamed in fright, "Go!" Brett pressed pushing her forward.

Suddenly Brett found several red laser on him, "Wait, wait! Lori, stop!" He said as he pulled her behind him.

"Brett... Brett," Lori asked worriedly as Brett was now facing the danger ahead of them, "What's happening?"

"Close your eyes." He told her facing the darkness.

One of the arrows seemed to hone in on him, just as Kira Yukimura's sword flashed through and deflected it.

"Run!" Allison told them as she too appeared with her own crossbow in tow. Isaac appeared as well as he pushed the two werewolves away from danger, while Allison and Kira covered their escape by Kira deflecting arrow after arrow and Allison shooting her bow.

* * *

Scott grabbed his motorcycle helmet and an extra one for Liam, "Isaac, Kira and Allison found Brett." He told him, "They're fine but we've got to go."

"More assassins?" Liam questioned him in an unsure tone.

"Maybe a lot more." Scott told him.

"Different than the ones who just tried to set us on fire?"

"I think so, yeah." Scott shared, "How about I take you home?"

Scott noticed Liam hesitated, "I'm not like you." Liam said suddenly.

"Not yet." Scott assured him.

"I don't mean I'm not strong or I'm never gonna learn how to be in control. I mean everything else." Liam corrected him, "You and your friends try to protect everyone." Liam said with admiration in his voice, "Have you been  _whole_  this the whole time? I mean, how are you all still  _alive_?"

There was a momentary silence between them, “Not all of us are." Scott finally shared with him in a low tone, remembering the fallen members, "Let me at least take you home."

* * *

Derek was sitting by an unconscious Stiles, laying in a hospital bed. Melissa had been checking her vitals, "How is she?"

"She's going to be okay. He wasn't able to administer all of sedative in her system," Melissa shared with him as she read Stiles' chart, "The bruising on her face indicate she'll have a concussion though."

"How long till she wakes up?"

"Based on the dosage," Melissa told him looking over the chart, "She should be out for another hour, however due to her ability to heal, she may actually wake up anytime now." Melissa noticed the worried look on Derek's face, "She'll be fine." She assured him gently.

"I  _am_  completely and totally fine." A voice told them. They turned to see Stiles awake and alert.

"Uh-uh-uh. Did you not hear what I just said?" Melissa commented with doubt in her voice, "You completely and totally have a concussion, Stiles." Stiles tried to get up, but both Derek and Melissa pushed her down.

"Stay down." Derek told her, "The doctor said you're not leaving without a CT scan."

"We still haven't paid for the last one." Stiles reminded Melissa.

"Don't worry about it, Derek said he got you covered." Melissa told her and noticed the look she was getting from Derek, who was getting glared at by Stiles, "I wasn't supposed to say anything."

"She would've found out anyway." Derek told her.

"She is laying right here." Stiles reminded him, as she settled down slightly when she shot back up in a panic, "Where's Landon?"

"He's with Meredith at the station." Melissa told her, "Apparently she's the Benefactor." Stiles eyes widened with alarm and Melissa quickly assured her, "I told you have a concussion. Even if you didn't, where would you go?"

She looked between Derek and Melissa, "Okay, fine." She surrendered to them, "Can you do me one little favor?" She asked Melissa.

"Anything."

"Can you get me a tape player?"

"Like cassettes?" Melissa questioned a bit confused by the request.

"Yes. Tapes." She remember the tape Brunski made when he killed Lorraine Martin.

"Yeah, I'll see what I can do." Melissa told her, "I advise you not to use your powers for at least a day," Melissa recommended, "And you," She gestured to Derek, "Make sure she doesn't try to escape." She left the room, closing the door.

"You're not going anywhere." Derek told her when he could see the look on Stiles' face.

"Ugh," Stiles groaned, "Let me guess thinking too loud."

"Actually no," Derek said slightly amused, "I just happen to know you so well by now."

Stiles gave him a small smile, "You know," Stiles started fiddling with tape, "When I told you about our situation it wasn't an invite for you to take care of everything."

"I know, just wanted to be helpful."

"You saved Scott and the others from being killed tonight," Stiles reminded him, "That's help enough."

"I didn't help you."

"Derek," Stiles started sitting up from the bed, "I love you. I really do, but I seriously need for you to stop feeling bad every time some bad happens to me. I mean, I'm a human running with a pack of supernaturals I'm bounded to get hurt. Yes, I've probably visited this hospital more than I'd like to count this past year, but I think it comes with the territory-"

"I feel like we have this conversation way too many times." Derek said cutting her off, "So I'm not going to say anything."

"Good because I wasn't finished yet," Stiles expressed, "Okay so  _maybe_  we should've brought someone with us to Eichen House. But it's not like I need protection 24/7. I've survived this town for the 17 years in the dark. Pretty sure I was in more danger then than I am now." Stiles continued, but that doesn't erase the expression Derek was making, "I'm still  _alive_  Derek." Stiles said to him softly, taking a hold of his hand, "I've been shot, held hostage, stabbed, threatened, beaten, attacked by a foot fetish Alpha, and possessed and I'm still following our main rule."

"If you're trying to make a point," Derek told her, "None of that was really helping."

"My point is," Stiles sighed, "I've survived all those things without you actually being there. I have my own way of survival and it hasn't failed me yet. Still alive and not dead."

Derek doesn't respond as he thought about his name breaking the final piece of the dead pool, "Let's keep it that way." He told her as Stiles gave him a cheeky smile.

* * *

Landon was at the Sheriff's Station trying to get more information from Meredith, "What did she say?" He asked the Sheriff when he walked out of the interrogation room.

"Hard to tell." He informed the Reaper, "There were words. I'm not sure there were actual sentences."

Deputy Parrish stepped out of the interrogation room, "Nothing."

"I think we need a psychologist..." Landon said staring at the Banshee through the window. This Meredith was different from the one he and Stiles encountered from Eichen House, that Meredith was cool, calm, and collected. This one was the same they acquired help from not so long ago.

"Or a medium." The Sheriff agreed.

"Is she even competent enough to be charged with something?" Landon questioned.

"If Meredith is The Benefactor," The Sheriff theorized, "Then that means she was competent enough to trick Kate into opening the Hale Vault, competent enough to blackmail Brunski into helping her, and competent enough to create a hit list and pay out money for its completion." The Sheriff, "This girl's practically a  _criminal mastermind_."

They looked at Meredith who was whispering to herself in the room.

"There's gotta be a reason why she would do this." Landon reasoned to the Sheriff.

"I'm only interested in the "why,"" The Sheriff admitted, "If it tells me the "how.""

"You mean how to stop it." Landon stated.

"After what happened to Scott tonight, this thing's still going." Meaning even if they had Meredith, there were still people trying to kill them, "The payments could be automatic. And as long as the killers are getting paid, and paid very well, that list is gonna keep getting smaller."

"We don't just need to stop the dead pool." Landon realized.

"We need to stop the money."

* * *

Scott arrived at the Beacon Hills Animal Clinic and was reunited with Kira and Allison. Both Scott and Allison kissed, "Is your mom..." Scott asked as he hugged Kira.

"She's okay." Kira assured them, "Healing."

"What about you?" Allison asked. They had been in such a rush to find Brett that she and Allison didn't have the chance to catch up.

"Me?"

"Are you okay?" Allison asked her.

"Right now?" She held up her sword, "Very."

"Did you find him?" Scott asked them, turning back the focus onto the situation at hand, "Did you find Brett?"

"Actually, I think we found all of them." Allison told him as she and Kira led Scott inside the clinic, "Satomi, this is who I was telling you about." Allison said to one of the people occupying the clinic.

"I know who Scott McCall is." Satomi said with a smirk.

"Are we safe here?" Lori asked him.

Scott looked around at Satomi and the seven members of her pack, all wounded, grouped in the exam room, "We're gonna need help." Scott told them, "A lot of help."

Meanwhile at a warehouse, Chris Argent disabled the guard and threw him through a door. Chris examined the inside just as another guard came up from behind and Chris took him out with the butt of his automatic rifle without looking back.

Inside, he found hydroponics equipment and a single stalk of flowering Yellow Wolfsbane.

* * *

"I'm sorry, didn't quite hear that." Stiles commented, "What was that you said?"

"You heard me."

"Pretty sure I didn't." Stiles mused, "After all I do have a concussion."

"I'll stop being overprotective, if you'll use logic when it comes to taking on whatever we're facing..."

"How about I _try_ to use logic?"

"That's the best I'm going to get out of you anyway isn't it?"

"Yep," Stiles quirked happily just as Isaac came walking into her hospital room. She squinted her eyes at Isaac before slowly turning her head to Derek, "I sense a lack of trust here."

"Well in my defense I called him after Scott." Derek told her getting up from his seat.

"I don't need a babysitter." Stiles argued, but looked apologetic to Isaac, "No offense Isaac."

Isaac just gave her a shoulder shrug clearly unbothered, "Better than being a target for an army of assassins."

"It'll make me feel better." Derek reminded her.

"Anything to make  _you_  feel better." Stiles spoke with an eye roll.

"Drop the sarcasm." Derek placed a kiss on top of her head, "And the two of you stay out of trouble." Derek told them, giving Isaac a pat on the shoulder before shutting the door.

"Who's the baby now?" Isaac teased at Stiles with a smirk on his face.

"Oh bite me."

* * *

Landon was sleeping in the Sheriff's Station while the psychologist was questioning Meredith. He was woken up when the Sheriff shook him, "I thought I told you to go home." The Sheriff chastised him.

"I thought I told you I wasn't going anywhere." Landon shot back easily, "Did they get anything out of her?"

"Should have gone with the medium."

Deputy Parrish then appeared with papers in hand, "We went through everything in Brunski's office, and so far everything amounts to pretty much nothing." He looked from the papers and was amazed to see that Landon was still there, "Did you not go home yet?"

"Not until Meredith starts talking."

"Landon, I promise she'll talk, and when she does, I'll let you know." The Sheriff assured him, "Trust me on this. Everybody talks eventually."

"Then let me try."

"No," The Sheriff said not surprised at the request, "We've already discussed this."

"I've gotten through to her before." He reminded them, "Just let me try."

* * *

"Why are you still wearing a scarf?"

"My neck gets cold easily."

Stiles had been given the green light and was ready to leave the hospital, "You're a werewolf, who still gets chills around his neck." Stiles doesn't bother hiding the judgement in her tone.

"Stop picking on me." Isaac told her the moment Melissa knocked on Stiles' hospital room door.

"You find a tape player?" Stiles asked with some hope in her voice.

"No." Melissa told her making her way into the room, "But I found someone looking for you two."

Isaac and Stiles gave her a curious expressions just as Micah walked into the room. Melissa watched the trio exchange glances as she shut the door without another word.

There was an uncomfortable silence that filled the air, "I heard you almost got killed." Micah told Stiles unsure of what to say.

"I heard you almost got killed." Stiles pointed uneasily.

"You okay?" Micah asked indicting at the mark on her face.

"Brunski punched me in the face and tried to OD me," She explained nonchalantly, touching her face, "Turns out he was a serial killer."

"Makes sense."

Another blanket of silence fell over them, "What about you?" Isaac asked.

"We almost got set on fire." Micah told him.

"You okay?" Isaac asked noticing how awkward Micah was standing. His arms were crossed and it seemed like he was still guarded from them.

"I'm fine." He said to them, "I'm gonna go."

"You don't have to." Stiles told him.

"I should go." He pressed to them and headed to open the door only for it not to open at all, "It's locked."

"Why would she lock the door?" Isaac said as he tried opening the door, but it didn't work, "Uh... Hey, Melissa?" He called out into the hall only for no one to come to the door, "Melissa."

"I could break it." Micah offered.

"Could you not?" Stiles pleaded moving away from the bed, "I already owe this hospital enough money as it is."

"Why would she lock the door?" Isaac asked.

"Maybe she didn't mean to." Stiles offered, however she remembered Melissa telling her not to use her power for the next 24 hours just to be on the safe side. That couldn't just a coincidence.

"You don't just accidentally lock a door." Micah pointed out to them.

"Okay, well, maybe, she wasn't thinking, exactly." Stiles offered, "Or wasn't thinking it through. You know, people sometimes do things without thinking them through."

"Then she's stupid." Micah remarked.

"No, even smart people can do stupid things." Isaac told him, "Like this one right here."

"Hey!" Stiles claimed with some offense in her tone

"But they only do it because they think that it's the right thing." He offered and Micah just stared at him, "And I don't think we should hold it against them, you know, for the rest of their life!"

Stiles realized at what Isaac was getting at, "Especially because they've tried apologizing hundreds of times through texts and voicemails." Stiles added in quietly.

"Are they gonna keep begging?" Micah asked, realizing Isaac and Stiles weren't talking about Melissa anymore.

Stiles and Isaac exchange looks, "They just might." She offered to him.

"I don't have much practice in things like forgiveness." Micah said to them, "Some things I'm picking up fast. But other things are like..."

"Like math?" Isaac joked with a small smile.

"I hate math." Micah responded automatically, with a small laugh of his own.

"You hate us?" Stiles asked worriedly.

"No," Micah shared with them, "I don't hate you guys at all."

The trio embraced just as the door opened on its own. They both looked at Stiles, "It wasn't me." She claimed with her hands up.

"I see you're not the only one with the idea of forcing people together." Isaac commented towards her leading them out the room.

"I have no idea what you're referring to." Stiles denied easily with a pleased smile on her face.

"I didn't even have to use my hearing to know that you're lying." Micah told her in a pleased tone.

“I liked it better when you guys couldn’t stand each other.”

* * *

Chris Argent returned to Argent Arms International and placed the yellow wolfsbane stalk inside a safe hidden in one of the walls. He then noticed muddy footprints and was immediately on his guard, weapon raised.

A shadowy figure appeared behind one of the hanging pieces of plastic and Chris was ready to fire, but one of Satomi's metal spikes grazed his hand and embedded itself into the wall behind him.

Brett was suddenly facing off with Chris, fangs bared. Chris had his pistol up and was ready to shoot when he was interrupted, "Wait! Wait! Brett!" Scott shouted, "This is his place. It's his."

At that statement, other werewolves and Allison appeared from the shadows, "Scott... If you bring in guests," He said as he lower his gun, "You could have called."

"Speaking of calling," Allison said in a tone.

"I didn't have anywhere else to take them." Scott said, interrupting the Argent bickering that was bound to start.

Satomi approached Chris Argent and gave him a wary glance, "I know this man. He may not remember, but we've met before."

"You can trust him." Scott assured her, "I trust him."

"Plus, he's my Dad." Allison said hoping it would help since she was included in the rescue of the Alpha's pack.

"How do we know he's not like the others?" Satomi said not convinced by any of their words.

"What others?" Chris questioned.

"Last night, there was a whole team after them." Kira told him, "And they used crossbows. Just like Allison's."

"They're hunters, aren't they?" Allison asked her father.

"Not if they're killing for profit." Chris said steadily, "Not anymore."

"Can they find us?" Brett asked the older Argent.

"They might already know you're here." Chris told them, "Maybe they're waiting for dark."

"So they're not safe here?" Allison questioned indicating the wolf pack in hiding.

"We're not safe anywhere." Satomi told them, "We've been trying to get out for days. Everywhere we turn, we find someone new trying to kill us."

"If they're coming, Scott, they're coming for you too." Chris told him, "You're still number one on the dead pool."

"I know." Scott told him, "I know Landon can get the answer from Meredith."

"He just needs more time." Allison told her father.

"Then that's what he'll get." Chris responded.

* * *

Stiles, Isaac, and Micah were in Stiles' room, listening to the tape Brunski made when he killed Lorraine, "Let's go, Lorraine." Brunski voice said from the tape.

"Listen to me. Please listen." Lorraine begged, "There's something I have to do, something I have to stop."

"I have to take you back to Eichen, Lorraine." Brunski said not minding anything that was being told by him.

"No." Lorraine said strongly, "No. I don't think you're gonna be taking me anywhere." The tone in her voice changed completely, "I can hear the recorder in your pocket." The trio exchanged amazed looks at each other, "It's on now, isn't it? You're making a tape. Just like you taped the others."

"This didn't happen at Eichen House." Stiles realized.

"But then where did she go?" Isaac questioned.

"That's what we need to find out." Stiles declared as she replayed the tape and they listened to it over again.

* * *

At the Sheriff's Station Landon was doing his own investigation, "I think I'm getting an idea of how all this happened." Landon told Meredith as he sat across the table from her, "You used Brunski, right? You knew he'd killed people, and that he would do it again." Meredith just gave him a stare, "He used my grandmother's code for the dead pool. He put it online. He took the money from the Hale Vault, then turned the bearer bonds into cash. He made the payments." He concluded to her, "Was it Brunski's idea to fake your death? Did he get nervous because you helped us with one of the cipher keys?"

"I wanted to help." Meredith told him.

"All you ever wanted to do was help." Landon agreed with her, "Is that why you're here? I know you wouldn't want to be here if you didn't want to talk."

"I do." Meredith confessed to him, "But only to one person."

"Who?"

"Peter." And Landon gave the Banshee a confused look, "Peter Hale."

* * *

"Get back to Eichen, Lorraine." Brunski's voice on the tape said.

"No. No." Lorraine stated, "I don't think you're gonna be taking me anywhere."

"That's it." Micah told Stiles and Isaac, "That's where it is. Play it again and turn it up."

Stiles did as instructed and the same voice repeated, but this time Stiles could hear the sound Isaac and Micah both had been hearing.

"It's the record player." Isaac said to Micah as Stiles shut the tape off.

"What record player?" Stiles questioned him.

"The one in the lake house," Micah said remembering where they found Landon and Kira, "In the study."

"So she escaped from Eichen House to go back to listen to a record player?" Stiles pondered not understanding.

"Well, she was like Meredith, right?" Micah questioned, "She was a Banshee?"

"Yeah, but only once." Stiles pointed out to him, "She predicted Maddy's death and then just spent decades trying to predict something else."

"Maybe she finally did." Isaac theorized, "And what if this time, it wasn't just one death, it was a lot of deaths?"

"Like the dead pool." Stiles said in awe.

"What if all those years ago, Lorraine predicted it?" Micah questioned, "And she knew there was something in the study that could stop it?"

"Then we're going to the lake house." Stiles said as she tossed her keys to Isaac.

* * *

Chris Argent placed motion sensors around the area inside the Argent Arms warehouse. Beside him stood Derek, Scott, Kira, Braeden, and Allison who all stood with their weapons ready, "They'll be okay." Scott said to Derek who was eyeing at the other were-creatures.

"They've got claws and fangs." Derek made a point to say, "But they're not fighters."

"That's why I called you." Scott said to him, "I know you would rather be with Stiles, but we need really your help."

"Well, try to remember I don't have claws and fangs anymore either." Derek told Scott.

"That's why Stiles called me." Braeden said appeared armed and ready with her shotgun.

"Am I the only one still hoping this is all just a false alarm?" Kira asked worriedly when she noticed how serious everyone was getting, "I mean, it's possible we could wait here all night and nothing happens. Right?"

"Allison, you heard anything from Landon yet?" Scott asked.

"Landon's still talking to Meredith." Allison told them, "Isaac, Micah, and Stiles are headed to the lake house." She shared with them, beside her Derek muttered some colorful language, "They're trying to stop it."

"What if there is no stopping it?" Brett asked appearing beside them, "What if it doesn't end until we're all dead?"

"Then let's send a message." Derek said as everyone gathered around them, "Let's make something perfectly _clear_ to anyone with a copy of that list." As the group looked up to him, "It doesn't matter if they're professional assassins, hunters, or an  _amateur_  who just picked up a gun." He voiced to them with conviction, "Anyone who thinks they can hunt and kill us for money, is gonna be put on another list.  _Our_  list. They get to be a  _name_  on our dead pool."

In agreement, the Argents readied their weapons, Braeden clicked her gun into place, Scott and Satomi's eyes glowed the Alpha red, Kira's eyes glowed orange as she unsheathed her blade, and the remaining wolves of Satomi's pack eyes glowed the Beta Yellow.

* * *

"Her?" Peter asked incredulously at the Sheriff's station, looking at Meredith through the window of the interrogation room, " _That's_ the girl that stole my money?"

"That girl is a Banshee." Landon pointed out to him, "They're more dangerous than you think."

"Oh, I think that girl's pilot light went out a long time ago." Peter commented, "Sheriff, not to question the unquestionably sterling reputation of your department, but are you absolutely sure you got the one?"

"How about you just go in there and see what she has to say?" Sheriff Stilinski advised him.

Peter looked between the Sheriff and Landon before he made his way into the interrogation room, "Okay... Meredith, where's my money?" Peter asked the moment he got inside the same room, "Or more correctly, what's left of it."

Instead of answering Meredith reached up and touched his face causing Peter to grab a hold of her wrist, "Let her go." Deputy Parrish told him since he was standing guard, "Let her go."

Peter did as instructed, but was shocked that Meredith touched him, "Why did you do that?" He asked her.

"They're all gone." Meredith commented with amazement.

Just out the interrogation room, Landon immediately knew what Meredith was talking about, "Oh, my God." He said breathed heavily, "They have met  _before_."

* * *

Back inside the room, "The burns." Meredith stated with such amazement, "They're all... gone."

While everyone was getting into position Chris had another encounter with Satomi, "I remember meeting you, but you weren't a Buddhist back then."

"And you weren't protecting werewolves." Satomi countered back at him easily, "You were hunting them."

"Three things cannot long be hidden..." He said from memory, "The sun. The moon. The truth. What exactly does that mean?"

"The truth cannot stay hidden." Satomi replied simply.

"I know what the saying means." Chris said knowing what the Alpha was trying to do, "What does it mean for you?"

"The truth for me is that we, my kind, are violent creatures, who eventually will not be able to control their violent impulses." Satomi explained to him, "The mantra helps us subdue our nature."

"But you're still violent creatures." Chris reminded her.

"Aren't we all?" Satomi questioned him.

The motion-sensor alarms began going off around the warehouse, "They're coming." Allison shouted.

* * *

Peter was now angry at Meredith, "Meredith, you put everyone, including my nephew and my son on a death list." He said as he slammed his hands on the table, "Don't you think you owe us the _slightest_ explanation of why?"

"You said it had to be kept secret." Meredith claimed to him.

"I said?" Peter sputtered, "I said that to you?"

"You said it." She said confidently.

"Meredith." Peter said in a low and possibly impatient tone, "Allow me to remind you yet again, we have never met... Ever."

He then produced his claws which Sheriff Stilinski and Landon could clearly see, "What is he doing?" The Sheriff questioned as they watched along.

"You don't remember?" Meredith questioned him.

"No." Peter said suddenly calm, "But maybe you do."

He jumped up, knocked Parrish away, and grabbed Meredith around the throat, "No, don't!" She cried to him just as Peter sank his claws into the back of her neck.

* * *

Gas grenades came flying into the Argent Arms International warehouse, "Get back!" Braeden yelled just as everything turned to chaos. Several helmeted and heavily armed gunman entered shooting and Chris and Allison Argent, Braeden, and Derek returned fire.

* * *

The Sheriff and Landon rushed into the interrogation room. Parrish had recovered himself and was now standing. Both he and the Sheriff have their guns drawn, "Don't touch them." Landon warned the officers, "If you break the bond you could kill them. Both of them."

"What are we supposed to do?" The Sheriff questioned him.

"I, uh..." Landon struggled, "I don't know."

"What the hell is he doing to her?" Deputy Parrish asked.

**FLASHBACK**

A doctor named Vandenberg is reviewing over Meredith's chart, "Patient has been non-responsive for several weeks. No sign of physical trauma, no response to external stimuli." He says into a recorder, "Our feeling is the damage is primarily psychological."

_In the present Sheriff Stilinski, Deputy Parrish, and Landon all watch as Meredith began to muttering._

" _Do you hear that?" The Sheriff asked them, "She's saying something."_

" _Can you understand that?" Deputy Parrish asked them._

" _I can." Landon told them, "I can hear_ perfectly _."_

 _Meredith continued on muttering, "She was in the hospital." Landon relayed back to them, "The_ same _hospital."_

" _Same as who?" Deputy Parrish questioned._

" _Peter."_

Meredith and Peter are being hospitalized side by side and both had the same doctor, "Here we have a rather extraordinary case. Near fatal burn victim." The doctor now states, "The interesting part is that typically in a situation like this, the coma is induced medically as the pain is normally too much for the patient to bear." He stands beside Peter, who is covered in burns, "We're not sure how Mr. Hale became comatose, however. His survival is honestly a mystery we're still trying to solve. Moving on."

" _It was right after the fire." Landon shared, "Meredith could hear him."_

" _Hear what?" Sheriff Stilinski wondered._

" _Everything." Landon realized, "She was hearing every_ thought _in his head, like they'd somehow found the same wavelength. And now everything going through his mind was also going right into hers."_

" _For how long?"_

" _Weeks. Maybe even months." Landon guessed, "It was almost like he was standing right over her bed talking about the fire. About getting revenge."_

While in his coma, a burned image of Peter Hales appears right next to Meredith's bedside, "I predicted this." Peter rants to the Banshee, "I told... I told Talia this was going to happen. Something like this was going to happen. I said that they were gonna come for us. The Argents." He says angrily, "They're gonna come for us. They are gonna burn us to the ground. Burn us to the ground. Did she listen? Of course not. Did anyone listen? They listened to _her_. Yes! Say that everything was going to be fine. That we were all perfectly safe."

Meredith is scared at the image of Peter that won't go away, "Perfectly safe." Peter mocks, "But she made us _weak_! She made us weak. And what happens to the weakest in the herd? They get picked off by the _predators_!" He roars into Meredith's face, "We used to be the _apex_ _predators_. Until Talia turned us into sheep. But I'll start over." He says now slightly calm.

"Like a vengeful God, I will raze this earth to the ground!" Peter vows, "I will take out all of them! Not just the wolves, but the Wendigos, the Banshees, every shape shifter. I will _obliterate_ the weak and I will _remake_ the supernatural of Beacon Hills in my image. I won't have to do any of it myself. Because I'll hire people. Assassins. Professional killers. People like The Mute. The Chemist. Even... Someone like the Desert Wolf." He declares.

"I'll use the money in the Vault. The bearer bonds. I'll use every penny if I have to. I'll start with the professionals, and then maybe I'll disseminate the list further." He continues.

"No. No. Not a list." Peter corrects himself frantically, "A dead pool. Eventually everybody will want a chance. Anyone can become a killer for the right price because when it comes down to it,  _everyone_  can be corrupted by  _money_!"

**END FLASHBACK**

Peter suddenly released Meredith and fell back onto the floor. Parrish caught Meredith before she fell from her chair. The Sheriff points his gun at Peter, "It was your idea," Landon summed up, "And you don't even remember."

* * *

Isaac, Stiles, and Micah were in the study at the Lake House. They were listening to the recorder and the only thing they were getting were seemingly random clicks and pops.

"What are we doing?" Stiles asked the were-creatures, "This room wasn't even made for us." She implied to them, "No, we need someone like Landon or Meredith, and we're just sitting here listening to a stupid record player play a record that doesn't play anything." She took the needle off the recorder, "Come on. There's plenty of other things we can be totally useless doing."

Stiles was ready to head to the door, when something caught both Micah and Isaac's hearing, "Stiles." Micah said as he walked around the room as he stood in front of the recorder.

"Yes?"

"I can hear it too." Isaac told her as he and Micah stood in front of the recorder.

"But it's not on." Stiles pointed out to them.

"Then it's something else." Micah told her.

"Something spinning." Isaac finished as he was looking at the wall as if it held the answer.

Stiles checked the record player and the table it's on and noticed a coaxial cable extending out of the wall behind it, "Uh…" Isaac and Micah see the cord as well and began moving everything out the way.

Stiles started ripping the cable up and out of the wall with her one arm as the drywall splatted as she pulled the cord toward the ceiling. Micah and Isaac helped tear away the remaining board and found large, old fashioned, reel driven computer tape drives behind the wall.

"What is this?" Micah asked confused.

"A dead pool." Stiles declared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After so super heavy HEAVY consideration, I decided that I will do season 5 the same way I did season 4. Without actually watching it and using my multiple sources to make the season happen. I will do alternate ending like I did for season 3B (since I legit worked hard on rewriting this season's finale.) The alternate ending is the OFFICIAL ending before season 5.
> 
> Publication of season 5 won't start till the ENTIRE season has premiered.


	20. Monstrous pt.2

The fight at Argent Arms International seemed endless. A steady stream of identical attackers continued to come at Chris and Allison Argent along with Satomi. No matter how many they shot or skewer, more followed.

"How many are there?" Allison shouted to her father.

"Too many!" Chris replied as he continued shooting the assassins.

On the other side of the Braeden had punched out another armed person just as Derek quickly had to change from offense to defense when an armed assassin started shooting towards him.

Derek ducked into a hole in the wall and managed to recover easily as he shot down the assassin down. For a moment, Derek seemed actually pleased with himself.

"Told you, you would like it." Braeden told him with a smug look.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski still had his service weapon leveled at Peter's head, "Are you kidding me?" Peter asked in a disbelief.

"Hands where I can see them." Sheriff Stilinski without lowering his weapon.

"How the hell was I supposed to remember any of that?" Peter asked in his defense.

"She got it from you." Landon pointed out to him.

"I was out of my mind." He reminded them, "Do you know what it's like for one of us to be in a coma? Paralyzed but cognizant?" He questioned, "You try not going crazy."

"She was listening to you." Deputy Parrish countered.

"She was listening to the ranting and raving of a lunatic." Peter told him and Landon raised an eyebrow at him, "A  _former_  lunatic." He corrected himself, "I'm much healthier now. I had nothing to do with this."

"If she was following your lead on this," Sheriff Stilinski said to him, "Then how do we know there isn't more?"

" _Stealing_  my own money?" Peter asked in a ridiculous tone, "Really?"

"You were going to use it anyway." Sheriff Stilinski said to him.

"Stop. Stop it." Landon told them, "This is what she wants. It's why she's here. Look around, Sheriff." He indicated in the room, "There's three people in here right now. Three people still on the dead pool. Me, Parrish... And Meredith."

"But not him." Deputy Parrish pointed out.

"Landon's right." Peter told them as he retracted his claws, "We don't want to kill each other."

"The only person I'm pointing a gun at is you." Sheriff Stilinski said in a dead tone.

"Then you better make it a perfect shot, Sheriff," Peter advised him, "Because I don't go down easy."

"I'm willing to bet that a bullet between the eyes doesn't heal real fast..." Sheriff Stilinski countered unmoved, "Not even for your kind."

"Stop." Landon pleaded between the Sheriff and Peter's standoff, "Please, stop."

"This department's getting more corrupted by the second." Peter voiced, "What are you going to charge me with, Sheriff? How are you going to explain this to a judge? Telepathic girl overhears thoughts of comatose werewolf and decides to enact his plans for retribution?" Peter clicked his tongue together, "They're gonna be pointing a gun at  _your_  head and asking you to go quietly."

"Let him go." Landon told the Sheriff, "You have to let him go."

"I'd take the word of a Reaper, Sheriff." Peter said in a cool tone, "I leave. No triggers pulled. No blood shed."

It took a second before the Sheriff does lower his weapon, "That's twice, Peter." The Sheriff told him, "There's not gonna be a third."

Meredith then became agitated just as Peter turned to leave, "No. It's not finished." She told as he walked away, "No, it's not finished!" She yelled and both Parrish and Stilinski have to hold her back, "No! It's not... It's not finished!"

* * *

Isaac managed to stop Micah from smashing the old machine, "You can't just smash it to pieces." Isaac told him, "Okay? If this thing's being used to disseminate the list, then it's probably gonna keep going until everyone's dead."

"Then what do we do?" Micah questioned as Isaac let him go.

"It needs some kind of prompt or command or something, right?" Isaac asked Stiles, who was looking over the machine.

But Stiles shook her head as her eyes landed on the control on the face of the central unit, "What about a key?" She questioned them.

At the Argent Warehouse, Scott and Brett were facing off some more shooters, "Get the others back." Scott ordered Brett when he realized that more were coming, "Tell them to hide."

"You see it?" Stiles asked Landon who was now on video call, "There's got to be a way to turn it off, right?"

"I don't know." Landon admitted as Stiles showed him old machine, "I don't know anything about computers from the 1970s."

"Neither do we." Isaac told him.

"Okay, where's the monitor?" Landon questioned them.

"Landon, there is no monitor." Stiles showed him as she moved the camera around, "There are buttons, knobs, spindles, no monitor."

Landon watched the screen intensely when he noticed that something was missing, "Wait, turn the phone back." Landon told her, "Point it at the carpet."

"The what?" Stiles asked.

"The floor! Just show me the floor." Landon said hurriedly, "Where's the stain? There should be red blotches, a wine stain."

"There's nothing." Micah said looking around other parts of the room.

"That doesn't make sense." Landon said. "I gave the $500 I was supposed to use to hire cleaners to Brunski."

"Landon, what the hell does wine have to do with anything?" Stiles questioned.

"Red wine doesn't just disappear." Landon muttered slowly, "Unless it wasn't wine."

"What?" Stiles asked confused, "What do you mean?"

"The ashes weren't ashes. The study isn't a study. The record player isn't a record player." Landon said recounting the past events, "So... So maybe the wine wasn't wine." He claimed, "You have to find the wine. Find the bottle. There could be something about it."

"What kind?" Isaac asked, "What's it called?"

"It's a 1982 Cotes du Rhone."

Isaac quickly found the bottle with the recorder, it clinked when he shook it, "There's something inside." He told them, "Do you have, like, a wine opener or..."

Micah solved the problem by snatching it from Isaac's hands and throwing it against the wall causing it to break. They found a key among the wet shards of glass. Stiles rushed to the bank of computers, inserted the key and turning it.

* * *

The battle was still going on at the warehouse and Lori somehow had gotten separated from the others, "Brett?" She called out panicked, "Brett, where are you?"

She stumbled around in the smoke and chaos of the warehouse. One of the assassins had started targeting her, but Scott rushed in and took him down. He threw him up on a table and slammed his head down hard. Scott began slashing at him mercilessly.

As he does, Scott's face rippled and began to change taking on a more distinctly werewolf appearance with a more prominent brow, deeper set dark red eyes and larger, more pointed ears.

He removed the man's helmet and looking directly into his eyes began to slash and growl. He removes the man's balaclava, he could now see all of the man's bloodied face, but he doesn't stop and continues slashing away at him.

He only stopped when the man placed both hands up in a signal of surrender and Scott seemed to regain some level of control. His face seemed to have reverted to a more normal transformation.

The sounds of cell phones vibrating began to fill the air all over the warehouse. Scott removed the one from his victim's pocket, looked at it and then showed it to him.

It was a message from the Benefactor, "ALL CONTRACTS TERMINATED." The assassins began retreating from the warehouse.

_At the lake house, the computer reeled stop turning as the machinery makes one more whine before halting._

There were several dead assassins in the warehouse as Scott, face streaked with blood, rejoined the others, "Is it over?" Allison questioned when she embraced her father and Scott, "Really over?"

* * *

Landon helped Meredith to a seat, "Are you okay?" He asked as he took a seat next to her, "I guess you are, aren't you?" He said with a bland laugh, "For someone who'd put their own name on a hit list."

"I had to." Meredith told him.

"Why?"

"Because I heard you." Meredith confessed, "I heard you scream in the halls at the high school." Landon's mind flashed the night at the school were Aiden got struck down by a sword from the Oni, "That's why I knew it was the right time... To start over."

"But with Peter?" Landon asked with some heavy concern.

"He's the alpha. He's always been the alpha." Meredith claimed to him, "He'll make it right. It never was with us. Too many people died because of us. We're the monsters. Even Reapers." He said looking at Landon, "Even me."

"I don't believe that." Landon said with a head shake, "Not all monsters do monstrous things."

"Like who?" Meredith challenged.

"Like Scott." Landon replied easily.

"Like you." Meredith said as she touched Landon's face. Meredith realized in that moment the extent of the act she had committed. Her eyes go wide, "Oh, God." She whispered, "What have I done?"

* * *

In Kate's stormwater drainage tunnel, Peter was pacing, "You look nervous." Kate observed as she watched move back and forth.

"I'm not nervous. I'm rattled." Peter admitted, "I don't like being rattled."

"But it's over. The dead pool's done." Kate said to him, "And if you need to be reminded, everything else is going exactly your way."

"Not  _exactly_  my way."

"Maybe every little piece in your game didn't move just as predicted," Kate theorized, "But they still moved perfectly into place." There was a moment of silence, except for the sound of water dropping when Kate realized something, "You wanna bail on the plan." She accused him.

"Of course not." Peter reacted quickly, "Not when I'm this close. Not when I'm this close to killing Scott McCall."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "I was wondering if you knew anything about my mother," Micah told him as an uncomfortable silence fell over them, "Peter doesn't seem to have any memory of her and call we have is some code name for her."
> 
> "I don't actually," Derek told him, "My mother probably removed my memories as well."
> 
> "Any idea as to why she would do that though?" Micah asked, "I mean...we're family and-"
> 
> "My mother was a wise woman," Derek interrupted him gently, "She did what she had to do to protect us. She probably thought-"
> 
> "She was doing the right thing," Micah finished for him understanding,"She did." Micah told them, "My adoptive parents treated me like I was their own. How do you get over the guilt of killing someone you loved?" Micah quickly realized his mistake when he noticed the tense expression on Derek's face, "I shouldn't have asked that...I'm sorry." Micah was headed for the door ready to leave.
> 
> "You don't." Derek's voice stopped him, "You don't get over it. It will always be there and you will feel it everyday." Micah turned to see Derek staring out the window, "Some days the hurt is unbearable and others it's like an itch you can't scratch."
> 
> XXXXX
> 
> "Stiles it wasn't your fault."
> 
> "But it is!" She countered this time she as started to breath heavily as red began to form on her skin, "As your mate...with the bond...I was supposed to know if you were in danger and I couldn't even do that. And now-"
> 
> "Stiles, listen to me," Derek said rushing to her side, "You need to breathe okay." He told her gently, "Come on breathe for me."
> 
> "I can't." She hyperventilated as she sank to the floor on the verge of tears, "I can't."
> 
> Stiles continued to struggle breathing as her computer chair and desk both started to levitate off the ground. Derek noticed the red marking rapidly spreading throughout her skin and turning into a darker shade of red.


	21. A Promise to the Dead pt.1

In an unknown location, a man named Patrick was dragging a black body bag into a refrigerated room where large, human shaped, pieces of meat hang and bodies were wrapped in clear plastic pierced with metal hooks.

As he got down close to the body bag, something inside jumped, startling him, "Hey," He said in protest, "Relax I'm going to open the bag."

The thing inside does stop moving as he opened it. Inside, was a girl with tape binding her wrists and over her mouth struggled, "It's Kalissa, right?" He asked her.

Kalissa noticed, over his shoulder, a collection of knives and cleavers suspendered on a magnetic knife rack, "I guess you're coming to a certain conclusion." Patrick told her, "You're not going to be leaving here."

Kalissa's eyes widen at the statement, "It's okay that you're scared." He assured her, "See, contrary to traditional culinary practices, it actually tastes better for someone like me when the kill's been frightened."

He bared his teeth and hiss/growled at her making it clear that he was a Wendigo, "Look at me, Kalissa." He ordered when Kalissa shut her eyes, "Open your eyes." The girl released a sobbing sound instead, "Kalissa." He said once more, "Open your eyes."

Instead of looking at him, Kalissa looked over his shoulder and noticed Dr. Deaton there. Patrick attacked him with metal meat hooks, but Deaton had his retractable baton and made short work of the supernatural.

"Okay, wait! Stop!" Patrick begged him, "The dead pool's over. You're not going to get paid." Patrick informed him.

"I'm not here to kill you, Patrick." Deaton said calmly, "I'm taking you back to Eichen House." He said to the Wendigo, "Where they know all about your culinary practices."

Deaton helped unbound Kalissa, "Are you..." She shuttered, "Are you a cop?" She asked him with some relief.

"Veterinarian." Deaton said with a smirk.

* * *

On a secret floor at Eichen House, Patrick was wheeled in on a gurney as Deaton met with Dr. Conrad Fenris, "While I'm relieved to have Patrick back in our care, I still need to advise you against doing this, Alan." The doctor told him. In each of the cells they passed, Deaton caught a glimpse through bars, there were a variety of heretofore unseen supernatural creatures, "There's a reason this floor isn't listed in the brochure."

"I came through on my end of our bargain." Deaton said remaining unbothered, "Now it's your turn. All I want to do is talk to him."

"The last person that went in to see Valack left the room, but not the building." Dr. Fernis warned him as they stopped near a reinforced Plexiglas cell, "All they did was talk."

"I'll keep that in mind." Deaton told him. Dr. Fernis allowed him into the room, "Dr. Valack?"

"You must be important." Dr. Valack commented to Deaton, "They don't usually let people get this close." He held up a book, "They let me read." He shared with him, "Unfortunately, all I get are these trashy romance novels. I've read this one seven times." He said with a smile.

"I was hoping we could talk." Deaton told the man, "My name is Dr. Alan Deaton."

"Oh, I know your specialty, Dr. Deaton." Dr. Valeck said as he placed his book down, "And I know it's not cats and dogs."

Deaton gave him a knowing look, "I'm here because of what you know about South American mythology."

"No." Dr. Valeck said with a head shake, "You want to know about Kate Argent." Dr. Valack said as he stared at Deaton, "You want to know about La Loba. The Bone Woman."

"I need to know what she did to Derek Hale." Deaton confessed to him, "And if he's dying."

"Why?" Dr. Valack asked with a look of suspicion.

"Because of a promise I made." Deaton said strongly, "To a woman I loved."

"Maybe  _you_  should write the romance novels." The prisoner commented, "If you want to know more, Dr. Deaton, you have to come closer."

"I've been advised against that." Deaton said to him, "I only want to talk."

"To hear what you know." Dr. Valack said, "You need to  _see_  what I know." He then began undoing the bandage that was wrapped around his head, "You do that by coming closer." He told Deaton once he revealed a ragged and bloody hole in the middle of his forehead.

"I don't know much about trepanation, but I'm relatively certain that just because you drilled a hole in your own head, it doesn't mean you've somehow gifted yourself with extra-sensory perception." Deaton said unimpressed.

"Come a little closer." Dr. Valack pursued him, "Take a look for yourself."

Deaton does take a step closer, "That's it. Come and have a look." He said to the Veterinarian.

Deep inside the hole in Valack's skull, an eye suddenly opened inside what appeared to be his bloody brain matter.

* * *

Scott returned home to find his mother and Isaac waiting for him in the living room, "Hey, sorry I'm back so late." He apologized to her, "I was closing up the Animal Clinic." But the only thing Melissa did was stare at him, "I got more hours to earn a little extra..." He trailed off when he noticed that his mother and Isaac were standing over the duffel bag, "Money." He finished weekly.

"How much more did you need?" Melissa asked indicating at bag. Scott noticed that Isaac looked ready to abandon him again, "This is payment from the dead pool." She told him knowingly and Scott knew that Isaac spilled everything to Melissa. Scott knew that there was no way Isaac could actually hide things from her.

"I found it in Garrett's locker." Scott explained to her.

"This belongs to Derek?" She questioned both the wolves. They both nodded sheepishly, "So you're just keeping it safe for him in a gym bag underneath your bed?" She chastised them, "How long have you had it?"

"Too long." Isaac admitted.

"You know you have to give it back?" Melissa told them, but she was mainly directing it towards Scott.

"I was going to." Scott claimed in a not so convincing manner, "Do I want to know why you haven't?" He asked her, "Because of you."

"Me?" Melissa asked surprised, but then she realized what Scott meant, "You mean because we've been struggling a little?"

"Mom, we're struggling a lot." Scott confessed to her and Melissa turned to Isaac who looked super guilty. Yeah, Melissa knew that Isaac didn't like keeping secrets from Scott either. She looked between the two supernatural creatures with understanding, "Scott, you can save people's lives." She told her son, "But you cannot save them from life." She said to the two, "Life is full of struggle."

"But it doesn't have to be." Scott said in defeat.

"Honey." Melissa said.

"Do you know what just one of these can do?" Scott questioned as he held up a stack of the money, "This gets us a new roof." And he pulled out another stack, "And this pays for Stiles' MRI." He continued, "This pays for Eichen House." He pulled out another stack, "And this one means you don't have to work the double shift at the hospital and come home totally exhausted."

Melissa silently picked up a blood-stained stack of bills and handed it to Scott, "What about this one?" She questioned him. Scott knew what his mother was getting at and gave her a nod.

* * *

Derek was packing his duffel when he heard a knock at the loft door. When he opened the door he found a nervous Micah looking right back at him, "So I hear you and I are related. Cousins to be exact." Micah tried in a weak tone.

Derek nodded, "Why don't you come in?" Derek offered and Micah gradually accepts the invitation.

"I was wondering if you knew anything about my mother," Micah told him as an uncomfortable silence fell over them, "Peter doesn't seem to have any memory of her and call we have is some code name for her."

"I don't actually," Derek told him, "My mother probably removed my memories as well."

"Any idea as to why she would do that though?" Micah asked, "I mean...we're family and-"

"My mother was a wise woman," Derek interrupted him gently, "She did what she had to do to protect us. She probably thought-"

"She was doing the right thing," Micah finished for him understanding, "She did." Micah told Derek, "My adoptive parents treated me like I was their own…” Micah trailed off quietly, “How do you get over the guilt of killing someone you loved?" Micah quickly realized his mistake when he noticed an expression on Derek's face, "I shouldn't have asked that...I'm sorry." Micah was already heading for the door ready to leave.

"You don't." Derek's voice stopped him, "You don't get over it. It will always be there and you will feel it everyday." Micah turned to see Derek staring out the window, "Some days the hurt is unbearable and others it's like an itch you can't scratch."

"So how do you handle it? How do you find that piece of mind?"

Derek turned and faced Micah, "I look for in this pack." Derek replied easily, "I look for it in Stiles."

Micah slowly realized what Derek was saying, "Like an anchor."

Derek gave him an impressed smile, "You're going to be fine."

"Are you though?" Micah questioned him, "I found a third piece of the dead pool with your name on it at school. Landon and the others explained to me what they had to do. Aren't you worried that it still might happen?"

"No one's trying to kill you guys anymore," Derek told him, "So I don't have to worry about dying now and actually relax in this town."

"Relax?" Micah questioned with feign ignorance, "I don't know even know the meaning of the word."

"You will...eventually."

This for some reason causes Derek and Micah to laugh just as the intruder alarm had suddenly sounded. Micah quickly flashed out his claws just as Derek armed himself with his gun and scanned the room. He couldn't see or hear anything out the ordinary.

"They're outside the door." Micah whispered to him. Together the cousins slowly made their way to the door as they got closer they could see a shadow standing outside. Derek gestured for Micah to wait as he opened the door with his gun ready. Only it wasn't an actual intruder that had caused the alarm to go off.

In front of them stood a dripping wet Landon Martin staring at the ground.

"Landon?" Derek questioned. In response to his name, Landon lifted up his head showing that he was obviously in a daze and released a Reaper scream. After Landon had finished he still remained in his daze and walked away, "So much for relaxing." Micah told him, "I'm going to make sure he doesn't hurt himself, we'll talk more later?"

"Yeah," Derek assured him. Micah managed to give a tiny small smile before chasing after Landon. Derek closed the loft door and gripped the gun tightly in his hand.

* * *

The sounds of hand to hand combat were coming from Liam's room. He and Mason were playing video games and Liam was winning, "When did you get so good?" Mason claimed to his friend just as Liam blew him up with a laugh, "You been practicing? Or did you just suddenly get superhuman reflexes?" Mason joked at him.

"Uh... Practicing." Liam stammered completely caught off guard, "Yeah, I've been practicing." He said more confident.

"And I should be studying." Mason said as he put down his controller.

"Where are you going?" Liam questioned his best friend.

"Home?" Mason questioned, "I got a History test tomorrow."

"Come on." Liam begged, "One more game."

"Yeah, you said that four games ago." Mason said with a laugh.

"Study here." Liam offered, "You can stay over."

"You okay?" Mason asked sensing something wrong.

"Yeah. You're right." Liam said avoiding the question, "You should go. I should probably study too." Mason of course hesitated at the doorway, he wanted to say something, but doesn't, "See you at school."

Later that night, Liam lied down to sleep. He paused, looking in each of the corners of his bedroom, before turning out the lamp by his bed.

The sound of the rain against the window seemed to disturb him. In the darkness he began to hear thumping, breathing and growling noises. He imagined a Berserker in his room walking closer to his bed and bending down over him, "You're not there." Liam chanted to himself, "You're not there."

In a panic, he turned the light back on and was faced with an empty room with no berserker in sight.

* * *

Morning had finally come and Stiles was still trying to sleep, but unfortunately there was someone occupying her room that wouldn't leave her alone, "Stiles." Derek's voice entered into her ears.

"Hmm?" She replied with her eyes still closed.

"You've got an early morning practice for the big game tomorrow, remember?" Derek reminded her.

"Go away!" Stiles told him as she threw the covers over her head. Stiles thought she had won and that Derek would actually leave her alone when she felt him get off the bed.

"If Micah and I going to watch an  _entire_  lacrosse game," Derek's voice continued again as he yanked the covers off her.

"You have done so already," Stiles mumbled interrupting him from under the pillow, "Like a creep hiding in the bleachers."

"Not with you in it," Derek made a point to say, "So you better not suck."

"Not gonna suck." Stiles said finally giving in to the pressure of waking up. She removed the pillow and doesn't forget to shoot daggers at him.

"Remember you were supposed to drive me to school early so I can get more studying in for the math test?" Micah spoke as he climbed through the window, "The one that determines whether or not I'm gonna be a senior with you next year?"

"Oh God, Peter's not going to come out my closet is he?" Stiles groaned getting up from her bed, "It's a Hale invasion in here." She continued mumbling complaints and insults while looking for something to wear.

All the while, Derek and Micah were busy staring at her murder board. On the board, Stiles had taken everything down and had "Who is the Desert Wolf?" written and circled. They exchanged glances and turned to Stiles, who was now throwing her clothes all over the place.

Micah was the first to move as he surprised Stiles in a tight hug, "Thank you." He whispered to her, before letting her go and climbing out the window.

"Seriously use the door already!" Stiles shouted to him, "I'll be down in a minute." She caught Derek staring at her, "Do I have something on my face?"

Instead of answering, Derek gently placed both his hands behind Stiles' head catching her by surprise, and pulled her in for a kiss, "What are you doing?" Stiles asked leaning away, "I haven't brushed my teeth yet."

"I don't care." Derek whispered to her and pulled her in for a slow and tender kiss. For a second, it was like he could feel a faint tug between them.

"As much as I love that you two are bonding," Micah's voice came from outside the window, "Some of us have school to get to."

Stiles ended up laughing, "He's right." Stiles smiled at him, "Don't you have something to do anyway?"

"Yeah, I'm actually supposed to meet with Scott," Derek told her as he placed a kiss on her head, "I'll see you later tonight."

* * *

At the Argent Apartment, Allison finally confronted her dad, "So what have you been doing all this time?" She questioned her father in his study.

"You should be getting ready for school," Chris told her sidestepping the question.

"Dad, we've been through this before." She told him not moving, "We can't have secrets between each other." She said strongly, "We're supposed to look out for each other."

Chris looked at his daughter and studied her before giving her a head nod, "You're right." He told her as he produced the yellow stalk of Wolfsbane, "We need to talk."

* * *

Derek returned to his loft to find Scott already there. Inside, Scott placed the duffel bag on top of the table, "Okay." Derek said simply.

"Don't you wanna know why it took so long to return it?" Scott questioned at the calmness Derek had given him.

"How much do you make at the Animal Clinic?" Derek countered him with another question.

"Minimum wage." Scott informed him.

"That's why." Derek said easily, "Everyone can be tempted, Scott." He said wisely, "Even a True Alpha."

"You're not angry?" Scott asked.

Derek shook his head, "It's not even mine." Derek confessed, "It belongs to Peter."

"Where's your money?" Scott asked with some concern.

"You're standing on it."

Scott looked under his feet and whispered, "There's  _another_  vault?"

"No." Derek said laughing at the Alpha's expression, remembering Stiles asking the same thing, "I own the building and I have my own bank accounts." He pushed the bag toward Scott, "All the money from the vault was Peter's." Derek said to him, "I think we'd actually be better off if the rest never came back." He also inputted.

Scott couldn't help, but agree with the statement, "I know Landon was here last night." Scott told him as he changed the subject, "Deaton's still working on figuring out what Kate did to you." Scott said with hope, "If anyone can find an answer, it's him."

* * *

Deaton was dreaming. He was in Mexico at La Iglesia on a stone slab covered in bones. He got up and looked around. Seeing a bone shard sticking into the stone, he pulled it out. It was covered in blood. The ground began to shake and his vision whirled dizzily.

Back in reality, Deaton was actually laying in one of the rooms at Eichen House, "Keep monitoring him every hour." One of the doctor's said, "If nothing changes.,,"

Doctor Fenris shined a light into his eyes and Deaton was unresponsive, "They never listen." He said with disappointment.

* * *

In class, Micah was trying to get Landon's attention, who was distracted, "Landon?" He tried before tapping on his desk, "Landon." This time Landon turned his attention to the overeager werecoyote, "Did you hear me?" Micah asked with a grin as he held up a paper, "Look. I passed."

"C-minus." Landon said in an unimpressed tone.

"Your notes are great when they're not written in code." Micah praised him.

However, Coach Finstock then placed down another test paper, "Disappointed, Micah." He told him, "Profoundly disappointed."

This time Micah had received a "F", "I'll send you my notes." Landon offered to the now down classmate.

Landon noticed Coach's lesson on the chalkboard. He had been talking about the net worth of some of America's richest men at the time of their death. The list, with the name and amounts, looked very familiar.

NETWORTH AT TIME OF DEATH ADJUSTED FOR INFLATION

JOHN D. ROCKEFELLER: 318 BILLION

CORNELIUS VANDERBILT: 150 BILLION

HENRY FORD: 188 BILLION

Kira could see exactly what Landon was thinking and leaned over to him, "It's over." Kira reminded him, "The computers are off. No more assassins. No more murders." She pointed out everything that they had been facing, "No one's dying."

Landon felt otherwise and shifted uncomfortably into his seat saying, "Not yet."

* * *

Liam was preparing to bench press as Mason warmed up with dumbbells, "That's a lot of weight." Mason commented as Liam was about to bench press 300 lbs.

"I'm trying to get ready for the game tomorrow." Liam reasoned to him.

"You need a spot?"

"No." Liam asked, before changing his tone, "Do you?" He mocked at Mason.

"This is my warm-up, you ass." Mason told him, but Mason put down his dumbbells and stood over Liam.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Liam asked.

"I'm spotting you." Mason said in an obvious tone.

"I said I don't need one."

"Are you kidding me?" Mason asked as if he friend had lost his mind, at this point Mason was ready to accept anything, "This is like 300 pounds." He indicated to him, "You're gonna kill yourself."

Liam made a point to do a press easily, "Do I look like I need help?" Liam asked him.

As Liam began to lift again, he flashed back to his fight with the Berserker on the hospital roof. The vision of the Berserker coming came faster and his strength failed resulting in him dropping the bar on his chest.

Unable to move it now, he was struggling for air until Scott showed up with Mason and lifted the bar off Liam. He coughed uncontrollably, but managed to say, "I'm fine."

"If you don't want to be with us, that's okay." Scott whispered to him, "But don't push your friends away too."

Liam looked at Mason for a moment then caught sight the berserker in the mirror behind him.

* * *

Chris Argent had tracked Kate to her storm water drain lair. And also happened to run into Peter, who just so happened to be there, "How'd you find her?" Chris questioned.

"Keen sense of smell." Peter said easily, "You?"

"This came out of Scott's side." Chris told him as he held up the bone he had removed, "There were traces of calcium hydroxide on it." He explained to him, "It's used by water treatment plants as an anti-corrosive."

"You tracked Kate and her Berserkers all the way down here." Peter said clearly impressed, "That's very impressive." Peter said as a smirk formed on his face, "I wonder if one of them might still be around."

Before Chris even had a chance to react, Peter signaled a berserker on him.

* * *

Later that same evening, Scott, Kira, and Allison arrived to Derek's loft, "Doesn't look like Derek's home." Allison commented as they entered the dark loft.

"He's not." Scott told her.

"Then how come we're stopping here first?" Allison asked.

"You'll see." Scott said with a smile.

" _I_  can't see anything." Allison commented, "Can you turn on the lights?"

"That's what Kira's here for."

Kira, with a sly smile, touched a single bulb and all the lights in the room warm and begin to glow, "Oh." Allison said clearly surprised. Apparently, Scott had prepared Derek's loft for a date.

He had strung individual light bulbs from the rafters so that they hung down into the room at varying heights. "I'm going to go," Kira told with the same smile and left.

Once Kira shut the door, Scott turned over to Allison, "Did I do okay?" He asked her.

"For our first real date since I got back?" Allison questioned with all smiles wrapping her arms around him, "It's a start." She told him as they kissed.

"Did you bring a movie?" Scott asked as they broke apart.

"Now I see why Stiles was so dead set on giving this to me," Allison said with a laugh and held up the movie, "She says you've never seen it and that she's going to kill you if you don't."

Scott took the case, "Star Wars." He said with a laugh.

"Where's the TV?" They questioned each other.

Due to Derek's lack of a TV, the couple resulted to watching it on a laptop computer, "So, this is the fourth one?" Scott questioned.

"No, it's the first one." Allison to him, "Even though it says fourth."

"Then what's the first one?" Scott asked now confused.

"The fourth one." Allison said, but that only caused Scott to look even more confused, "You know what? Forget the movie." Allison told him.

Allison hopped into Scott's lap. The pair took a hold of each other and began making out. Scott even began sliding his hand up Allison's leg before he sensed something and pulled away from a confused Allison, "Scott?"

Scott pricked up his ears just before a fully transformed Kate and a Berserker came busting through the big loft window.

* * *

In her room, Stiles had her eyes closed with her legs crossed sitting on her bed. Derek was sitting in front of her watching intensely, "Now breathe slowly." He instructed her.

Stiles released a heavy breath as the textbook beside her slowly began to levitate in mid-air, "You seriously did not spend an entire day finding ways for me to control my power, did you?" They have been doing this for the past hour.

"I did." Derek told her, watching the red markings remain their normal shade, "If there's nothing that can be done about me...Then there's something that can be done about you."

"If Deaton can't figure out it, then I will," Stiles told him in a whisper tone opening her eyes, "I always do." She placed her left hand over Derek's and gave it a squeeze. Derek watched as markings were now starting to run across her cheek, but had remained the same shade.

The calm moment was ruined when the Sheriff suddenly appeared, "Drop what you're doing." He told them surprising the couple. The red flashed into a darker shade as Stiles jumped and caused the book to fly across the room hitting the door close to the Sheriff.

"Oops." Stiles commented making a face.

"Don't worry about it," The Sheriff waved it off, "I'm taking you two out to dinner." He said adamantly, "Whatever you want."

"Dad, I don't think a man of your debts should be treating anyone to anything." Stiles advised him as the red was now fading away.

"Well, there's one debt we no longer have to worry about." Sheriff Stilinski told her as he held up a letter.

"What is that?" Stiles asked quickly getting up from her bed.

"A letter of apology from Eichen House." The Sheriff beamed as Stiles took the letter.

"Apparently, they've decided to forgive our debt due to..." Stiles said as she read the letter.

"Well, you and Landon almost getting murdered." The Sheriff summed up for her.

"They can do that?" Stiles asked shocked with a smile on her face.

"They can do it and they did it." Her father told her.

Stiles jumped into her father's arms, "I have never been so happy to have almost been murdered."

"Well, we're not out of it yet. But..." The Sheriff told her.

"But we're going to be okay." She finished with some relief.

"And at least for the moment," Sheriff confessed, "I can afford to take my daughter and her boyfriend out to dinner."

* * *

The Berserker had beaten Chris Argent into a stupor, "Unfortunately, while I promised Kate I wouldn't kill you," Peter said to Chris with feigned sympathy, "I also can't let you leave."

He drove a piece of rebar into Chris' side and through the concrete wall behind him. He then bent the rebar across Chris' body, pinning him in place, "Now you rest here for a while." Peter told him in a gentle tone, "You've had a hard time, for a very long time."

Mason showed up in Liam's bedroom. He threw some video game discs down on the bed, "I know something's going on." Mason confronted a surprised Liam, "I know you don't want to talk about it." He told him, "But you're still my best friend." Mason reminded him, "And, um... considering the fact that the last good friend I made turned out to be a professional killer, I'm thinking that I don't have too many options for new ones." Mason said with a small laugh, "So when you're ready to talk...let me know." Mason told him, "Until then, I know I can kick your ass at least one of these games."

Liam picked one of the games off his bed, "Never played this one."

* * *

Stiles had gone to the bathroom at the restaurant, leaving the Sheriff and Derek alone at the dinner table, "So Derek," The Sheriff started off, "Stiles had to explain to me what was happening with you after she somehow managed to send  _me_  across the room. How are you holding up?"

"It's an adjustment." Derek admitted, "I'm not used to my senses being dulled out. It feels very...normal."

"It's okay to say human," The Sheriff cracked at him, "It's not a dirty word."

"Yeah, I guess I do feel human then."

"So has your feeling for Stiles changed then?"

"I'm sorry?"

"I mean you're human now and no longer can feel the bond. I know that it was a werewolf thing," The Sheriff reasoned, "I was wondering if that meant that your feelings suddenly change for my daughter?"

"No," Derek told him strongly, "She's...something...I haven't found the right word for her, yet. But I do know that I want her in my life. For as long as she will have me."

The Sheriff gave Derek an improving smile, "That's good to hear." He took a sip of his water, "Just know that if you do anything to hurt her. Human or Werewolf it won't be hunters and other supernaturals you would have to worry about. You get my drift?"

"Yes sir."

"Good," Sheriff Stilinski commented, "One other thing.” Derek looked at the Sheriff concerned, “Thank you."

Derek doesn't get to response when Stiles finally had come back at the table and noticed the looks on her father and Derek's faces, "Oh God," Stiles realized, "He threatened you, didn't he?"

"Well, not in so many words." The Sheriff confessed.

"I feel lucky to have two men in my life," Stiles claimed sitting back in her seat, "I can feel the love radiating off this table."

* * *

Scott woke to find himself suspended off the floor. He realized that the berserker was carrying him. The bone-covered creature threw him against the door to the loft. While Allison was fighting against her aunt, "What do you want from us?" Allison yelled at her aunt.

"I want a little bit of insight," Kate said just before she knocked Allison away, "Scott." Kate said turning her attention to him.

"To what?"

"My family." Kate growled at him, "The Argent family has been around for over 400 years." She snarled at him, "A _powerful_ , wealthy, _aristocratic_ family of _werewolf_ _hunters_."

Just like that both Scott and Kate started fighting each other. They seemed evenly matched with each absorbing the other's blows and kicks.

* * *

"Would you have consider that our first date?" Stiles asked Derek the moment they walked into her room.

Derek gave her a deadpanned look, "Your father was there."

"I'm going to take that as a no." Stiles stated thoughtfully as she opened up her textbook laying herself out on the bed.

"He threatened me."

"To be fair," Stiles told him, not looking away from the book, "It was bound to happen. So really you shouldn't have been surprised about it."

"Don't sound so smug about it."

"Hmmm...can't help it." Stiles told him, even though Derek could clearly see the upside of her cheek lifting. Right now Stiles was completely focused in on her book, but she could feel Derek watching her, "Take a picture it'll last longer."

"How original." Derek countered in a bored tone, making his way beside her, "Do you come with those all by yourself?"

"Nah, can't take all the credit." Stiles replied simply, until she felt Derek invading her personal space, "What are you doing?"

"Am I distracting you?"

"Despite the popular belief around here," Stiles remarked, "I have a better attention span than people give me credit for."

Derek made a noise of doubt as he breathed into her neck. Stiles made no hint of movement as she remained still and focused on her book. However, Derek doesn't stop as he made his way to the mark. There he gave it a nice soft blow and Stiles completely groaned and let her face fall completely flat on her bed causing the book to fall to the floor.

"I hate you." Her muffled from her bed.

"No you don't." He told her knowingly as Stiles turned to face him, "You love me."

"Unfortunately." Stiles commented.

Derek cupped the back of her head, "Don't be rude." He told her with a smirk and placed a light kiss on her lips as he rolled her on top of him.

* * *

Allison recovered in defense against the berserker using a length of chain. While she does get in a couple of licks, the berserker managed to get control of the chain and pull her to him. He then knocked her senseless.

Kate took off Scott's distraction and disabled Scott with a throat punch and pounded him against a wooden beam until he drops. Seeing that the berserker could kill Allison, he doesn't get up, "But yet somehow, in less than a year, this great family is decimated by a teenage boy." She said to him, "So my question is simple." She said kneeling in front of him, "What the hell is so special about Scott McCall?"

"You want me?" Scott breathed to her, "Take me." He told her, "Just me."

"No, we're all going." Kate told him just as the berserker who had attacked Allison appeared with an unconscious Kira in tow, "We're all going to church!" She declared with a roar.

* * *

Stiles and Liam arrived at school for the lacrosse game against Devenford Prep, but Scott was not there. Liam looked worriedly at Stiles, "Everything's fine." Stiles assured him, "Got a text from him this morning and he said he might be just a little late."

"Well, how late is late?" Liam questioned her, "Is he always late?" Stiles gave him a shoulder shrug, "We're playing Devenford Prep again and this time it's an actual game. He shouldn't be late. And either should Kira."

"Who shouldn't be late?" Coach said appearing out of nowhere and already freaking out.

"Scott and Kira." Liam told him.

"They're only slightly late." Stiles told Coach quickly, even though she had no idea as to why Kira was late.

Coach looked between his players, "Slightly late is still late." He freaked at them, "What are they doing?"

"Scott's doing something that's going to make him slightly late." Stiles repeated, "And so is Kira." She inputted now covering for her.

"Don't tell me they are doing what you and Lahey were doing last semester." Coach said to Stiles making a face.

"Oh, Coach." Stiles said remembering the lie she and Isaac gave Coach.

* * *

Sheriff Stilinski, Derek, and Micah arrived at the game as do Mason and Sydney. Sydney had a sign that said, "Go Liam." The dot over the "I" is a heart.

At the bench, Stiles and Liam were getting ready, "They're still not here." Liam whispered worriedly to Stiles.

Stiles stopped putting on her uniform, "Okay, what's really going on?" Stiles asked the nervous beta, "Are you nervous about the full moon?"

"It's not for another 24 hours." Liam pointed out to him.

"Liam, you're gonna be fine. Okay?" Stiles assured him, "Just try not to rage out on anyone."

"You're not worried?" Liam asked shocked at Stiles' behavior.

"I'm  _mildly_  concerned." Stiles admitted to him, as she texted both Scott and Kira  _How late you gonna be? Very worried. Very._  "Mildly."

"We're gonna lose without them." Liam said with no confidence once so ever.

"No, we're not." Stiles told him as she geared back up, "We can be just as good without Scott and Kira. Okay?" She assured him, "I've been practicing. Let me tell you something." She leaned into him, "I'm getting good." She praised herself, "Like really good."

Stiles was a disaster on the field. She got hit in the head with the ball and tripping over her own feet. After she was hit by a rival player and knocked flat on the ground, Liam was by her side in an instant giving her a bitch face, "Yeah. I'm gonna call Scott and Kira again." She caved, "Including Allison."

* * *

Deputy Parrish found Chris Argent in the storm drain, "How long have you been like this?" The Deputy Parrish asked him.

"I don't know." Chris confessed, "Might have blacked out a few times."

"Peter Hale did this?" Jordan asked at the bent metal.

"You were following him?" Chris countered.

"Every day since Meredith Walker." The deputy admitted. He tried to move the bar, but it was useless.

"Listen to me. Kate's going after Scott." Chris told him, "Peter and Kate." Chris breathed, "You've got to warn them."

"I can't." Jordan told as he looked at his phone, "There's no service down here."

"Then just go."

"If I leave right now, you'll be dead by the time I get back." The officer pointed out to him, "We're getting you out of here."

* * *

Devenford Prep was leading 4–0 as the timer ticked down to the end of the first quarter. Coach was apoplectic, "Come on!" He yelled.

"All right. Neither of them are answering." Stiles told Liam as they were out for the time being, "I gotta go see what's going on."

"You're leaving?" Liam grabbed at her slightly panicked, "What are you going to tell Coach?"

At the mentioning of Coach, they both turned to see that Coach was on a tirade, "Stupid! Stupid old..."

"Uh, you don't tell him anything. Okay?" Stiles told him, but Liam looked more worried, "Liam, you're gonna be okay. All right?" She assured him. Liam simply gave her a weak head nod.

Stiles had managed to get to her father and Derek and explained the situation.

As Liam returned to the field, he could pick up on the last piece of the conversation, "Want me to stay here if he shows up?" Micah asked wanting to help.

"Yes." Stiles told him, "Also keep an eye on Liam."

Devenford Prep got possession and was coming down the field toward Liam. He began to hallucinate a berserker on the field, "Liam, for the love of God, move!" Coach yelled at him, but Liam doesn't.

Instead, Liam remained frozen and as it knocked down several Devenford players before skewering number 28. But it disappeared as players run right past him and score. Both Mason and Sydney stopped their cheering on Liam and looked at the ground awkwardly.

Peter showed up at the game and sits next to Micah. "So, who's winning?" He asked casually.

* * *

At Eichen House, "Still nothing." Doctor Fernis reported to the medical team, "I think we're going to have to move him to the sixth floor."

"You're not taking him anywhere." Landon said appearing out of nowhere.

"Well, unless you're family, I don't think you can make that decision." The doctor told him.

"We're close enough." Landon said to him, "Let me talk to him."

"He's not responding to any stimuli." He informed him, "We can talk to him, but there's no way of knowing he's actually hearing us."

"Trust me on this." Landon said to him, "He'll hear me."

* * *

"Come on, Liam." Liam said as encouragement to himself out on the field. Liam had the ball and made his way down the field. He avoided several defenders, but Brett came out of nowhere and knocked him on his behind. The whistle was blown, "What the hell did you do that for?" Liam asked him angrily.

"Because you're afraid." Brett told him, "I can smell it on you from  _across_  the field." He looked down at Liam, "Are you hurt?"

"No." Liam answered stubbornly.

"Are you still alive?"

"Obviously."

"Then get up." Brett ordered him. Liam gave him a glare but does, "You good to play?"

"You planning on pulling something like that again?" Liam questioned him.

"Only if I have to."

* * *

"I told you not to come here." Micah whispered to Peter.

"If you want to have a clandestine meeting you need to choose a clandestine location." Peter said as they looked onto the game.

"After what happened with you and Meredith," Micah said coolly, "I'm pretty sure I can do without any kind of one-on-one father-son time."

"How about mother-son time?" Peter offered, which grabbed Micah's attention, "That's right. I found our Desert Wolf."

"Is she definitely my mother?" Micah questioned him.

"Yes."

"But if you want to find her, you're going to have to do something for me." Peter told him.

"Something that's come naturally to you for a very long time." Micah said in an unimpressed tone, "Do you always have to get something in return?"

"When it's something I can't do on my own?" Peter questioned, "Yes."

"What do you want?"

"I want you to kill Kate Argent."

 


	22. A Promise to the Dead pt.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY EASTER IF YOU CELEBRATE IT!
> 
> SEASON FINALE STARTS FRIDAY (4/9) WITH PART 1, SATURDAY (4/10) WITH PART 2 AND AN ALTERNATE ENDING ON SUNDAY (4/11)

Allison had finally come to in the loft, but she noticed that she was alone, "Scott?" She called out noticing that room around her was a mess and there was blood all over the place.

Just as Allison began to getting up off the floor Isaac Lahey appeared from the loft door, "Allison?" He asked her seeing her covered in bruises, "What happened? Where are Scott and Kira?"

Allison shook her head, "Kate," She said she remembered the fight from the night before, "Kate...She took them." She started to panic, "We need to find my Dad."

* * *

Brett walked into the locker room and found Liam sitting on the bench moping, "You okay?" Brett asked him.

"We lost." Liam said in defeat.

"But you're okay, right?" Brett asked him.

"Why'd you do that?" Liam asked him suddenly, "Why'd you help me?"

"Because of Scott. He saved me." Brett answered simply, "He saved all of us." Liam hung his head down, "Do you know how lucky you are?" Brett asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Scott's a True Alpha." Brett informed him, "That means he didn't get his power because he was born with it. He didn't get it by stealing or killing someone. He  _earned_  it." Brett informed Liam, "You're not strong just because you can lift a lot of weight now. You're strong because you  _endure_  it." Brett shared, "Satomi calls it strength of character. You're lucky to have him."

"Then why isn't he here?" Liam whispered to himself.

* * *

Parrish was trying to pull the rebar from Chris' side causing the former hunter enormous pain, "Sorry." Jordan apologized, "I'm sorry." He told him, "I can't do it myself. It's not bending back and it's not coming out of the wall."

"Leave." Chris told him.

"I can't do that either." Jordan told him, "I need you to help me. I know you're hurt and tired, but I need you to gather everything you've got and help me."

"I don't have any energy left." Chris commented.

"Grab the bar, sir." Jordan told him.

"I don't have it in me." Chris said to him, "Please, go. Just go." Chris pleaded, "You're running out of time."

"You know what you need?" Jordan asked still ignoring Chris' negativity, "Adrenaline. There's two ways to get it. Fear and anger." Jordan shared, "Since you don't look like a guy who's afraid of anything, you need to get angry. You need to get so angry that your brain lets loose every bit of adrenaline it has left."

"I'm too tired to be angry."

"Okay." The deputy said, "I don't know much about you or what you've been through. But Landon and Allison told me some of it." He shared to the former hunter.

"I know about Victoria. Granted she may have hated Scott, but she knew how Allison felt about him. And I think if she knew what was happening to him she'd be pretty angry." Parrish told him, "At least angry enough to try one more time to get the hell out of here. Allison is counting on you, remember? You're supposed to look out for one another, so whatever trigger you need, if it's Allison, or your wife, or your sister, or Peter, use it." He commanded the hunter. "Use it right now."

It seemed to work as Chris pushed and screamed in pain, Parrish pulled and the bar began to bend. During the process, Parrish's eyes began to take on a fiery orange glow as Allison and Isaac appeared into the tunnels.

* * *

Stiles and the Sheriff arrived at the loft, "What the hell happened?" Sheriff Stilinski asked as he took in the sight. The loft was a messed. There was glass everywhere and blood was on the floor.

"It was supposed to be a date." Derek told him as he stood up from the mess on the floor.

"What about Kira," Stiles asked quickly, red already started forming on her neck, "She was with them."

"Her car was found a block away from here," Braeden shared with them as she noticed the chain on the floor, "Kira may have was taken as well."

Stiles looked around distressed as her phone rang, "Hey." Stiles said as she answered her phone as she put on speaker.

"Scott's been taken." Landon's voice said filling the air.

Stile doesn't bother asking how Landon knew, "Kira and Allison too." Stiles shared, "We just don't know where."

"Allison's okay," Landon shared with them, "It's Scott and Kira that we should be looking for."

"Where?"

"Mexico." Deaton voice's said filling the air, over the phone. "And if you want to save his life, that's where you're going too."

* * *

Scott woke on a stone slab inside the church in Mexico. He was tied with rope draped in purple Wolfsbane which weakened him, "Tell me, Scott." Kate said appearing by his side, "They ever teach you the myth of Artemis and Actaeon in school?" Scott struggled against the bondage, "No? I didn't think so." Kate answered instead, "Well, Artemis was a goddess. And Actaeon was a hunter that happened to see Artemis bathing naked one day."

She began to circle around him, "This did not make the goddess too happy." Kate shared, "In fact, she was so angry, Artemis turned Actaeon into a deer and this sent his own hounds into a frenzy. He was actually torn apart by his own hunting dogs." Kate said with a manic laugh.

"What are you doing?" Scott questioned her.

"I'm not gonna turn you into a deer." Kate assured him with a chuckle, "But you are about to become something unrecognizable to your friends." She held up a berserker skull, "They won't know what they're fighting." She said as she edged closer to him, "Or killing."

"Kate, hold on..." Scott begged, but the Argent doesn't listen, "No, Kate, no."

Kate ignored Scott's begging as she placed a berserker bear skull over his face as he screamed.

* * *

Stiles was pacing in her room with Derek watching her closely. Ever since, they had gotten off the phone with Deaton Stiles had been chewing on her thumbnail and mumbling incoherent sentences, "Stiles-"

"What?" She snapped at him. Derek doesn't look fazed by the harsh tone, but Stiles quickly looks apologetic, "I'm sorry." She covered her face with both her hands, "I don't know what overcame me."

"You're worried about Scott and Kira."

"Of course I am," Stiles agreed still pacing, "Kate has them and God knows what she's going to do to them." Stiles ranted, "Not to mention the C.I.A. suddenly has fallen off the face of the earth."

"I'm sure they'll be okay too." He tried to assure her, but it doesn't seem to work.

"You don't know that!" She claimed to him as Derek tried to grab a hold of her, but she easily dodged him, "I feel like I'm about to go out my freaking mind!"

Around them the lights began to hum and flicker, "Stiles-"

"You wanna know the last time I felt like this before I was stuck outside the vault, with the others on the verge of dying on me," She confessed to him with red running over her arms, "When you were gone." She spilled with a strained tone, "I blamed myself those entire two months all because I relied on some dumb text message."

"Stiles it wasn't your fault."

"But it is!" She countered this time, breathing heavily as a shade of dark red began to form on her skin, "As your mate...with the bond...I was supposed to know if you were in danger and I couldn't even do that. And now-"

"Stiles, listen to me," Derek said rushing to her side, "You need to breathe okay." He told her gently, "Your powers are _linked_ to your _emotions_." Derek spoke, "I know you're upset and worried, but right now I need for you to breathe for me."

"I can't." Stiles began to hyperventilate as she sank to the floor on the verge of tears, "I can't." She repeated as her eyes began to water. It was like the world around her was getting smaller, she couldn't breathe, and not even the fact that Derek was on the ground with her was helping.

Stiles continued to struggle breathing as her computer chair and desk both started to levitate off the ground. Derek noticed the markings rapidly spreading throughout her skin and was threatening to turn black.

Derek held onto her hands, "Come on Stiles breathe for me," He tried coaching to her again, but it doesn't seem to work as the murder board slammed into the wall closest to them. Derek knew things were going to get ugly and fast if he couldn't calm her down.

So he did the one that always seemed to calm her down, he took a firm hold of her face, shocking Stiles in the process, and kissed her deeply. He kissed her long enough to where Stiles was no longer breathing rapidly, but she was actually holding her breath. The computer desk and chair were now back on the ground as the redness slowly began to disappear.

When he pulled away, Stiles looked up at him in confused, "How did you do that?" She asked him completely lost.

"You had panic attacks in your sleep after the Nogitsune," He explained to her, "Landon told me about the one you had during the Darach. Said that holding your breath could stop an attack. So when I kissed you the first time you were having one... You held your breath."

"I did?"

"Yeah, you did." Derek told her with a small smile, "You also sent me sailing across the room a couple of times."

"Oh God," Stiles huffed slightly laughing, "Thanks."

"We'll get them back," He assured her as he placed a kiss on her head and pulled her into his arms, "I promise."  _Even if it kills me._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT ON THE BENEFACTOR
> 
> "Stiles." Kira answered knowingly, "She said she felt like she had been ripped apart physically. The markings were turning to black. I think she's been pushed too far."
> 
> "How is that possible?" Scott questioned them.
> 
> "The moment we got here Derek was attacked by a berserker," Micah told them, "It didn't look to good."
> 
> "And if what you said is true than we're about to have a real problem on our hands." Peter shared with them, "And we better get out of this cave if we want to have a shot of staying alive."
> 
> Without even needing to say another word, the group broke out into a run down the cavern, "What's about to happen?" Kira questioned as another powerful tremor shook through the earth.
> 
> "You're about to become a victim of what happens when soul-bond gets destroyed supernaturally."
> 
> XXXXX
> 
> As to prove her point, Stiles lifted her palm up and this time lifting Kate into the air, before slamming her palm onto ground causing Kate to fall to the ground hard, "For someone who has been a hunter since they were a kid, you are pretty stupid." Stiles spat at her, "Do you know what happens to the mate of werewolf when they are killed?" Stiles questioned her as she formed a flame into the palm of her hand, she stepped closer to Kate who quickly stood up from the ground still ready to fight, "Let's see how you like being burned alive."


	23. Smoke and Mirrors pt.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 will be posted tmrw around the same time :). Enjoy.

Kira woke up in a random bone-filled cell. There was opening where light was shining through on her, but there was no way she could actually reach it. She looked around and noticed that the cell door was open. As she made her way down the dirty stone corridor she noticed a Berserker standing guard at the other end.

She quickly turned the other way only for another Berserker attacked her. She noticed the double bands of black tattoo on his arm, "Scott?" She questioned, but the Berserker doesn't answer as he sent her flying into a stone wall.

"I'm going to have to do a better job of covering that up." Kate said appearing out of the darkness of the tunnel.

"What did you do to him?" Kira questioned wary of the berserker, "How." She struggled to breath. She had already suffered from a punch to the face and side from the ambush she had gotten from it.

"That's..." Kate said smiling, "That's the better story." Kate stood by Berserker Scott and smiled as she admired her work before she turned her attention back to Kira.

"You see, when I first got away from the Calaveras, I had no idea where to go." Kate explained to her, "But something kept pulling me here, to the temple of Tezcatlipoca." She pointed at the structure with a face on it, "His name means "smoking mirror" and this place is a temple of the smoking mirror. Obsidian."

"When I got here, I found the Berserkers waiting for me. They helped me survive. I didn't know quite why until just recently." Kate said fondly, "Until I decided to trust someone I never thought I'd trust. It was then that I found out I could not only control the Berserkers, but I could create them. They call me La Loba."

"The Bone Woman." Kira translated.

"We let you out because I needed to test his loyalty." Kate said with a smirk, Kira looked uneasy at the Berserker, "Did you know that Scott became an Alpha without having to kill anyone? He's been through quite a lot without ever having to kill. I think it's time to change that."

Scott took out a bone, "No, Scott." Kira begged, but it was having no effect on him. Kira had nowhere else to go as she had ended up in a dead end, "Scott!" She tried once more, but it was too late as Scott stabbed Kira with the bone effortlessly.

* * *

Stiles was in the Sheriff's office and right now she was beyond stressed out, "Dad, Scott and Kira have been kidnapped and taken to Mexico. Okay?" She reminded him, "I think that's a pretty good reason for a trip to Mexico."

The Sheriff took a breath at his daughter's determination, "Okay. Even if Deaton is right about this..."

"Yeah." She said easily with conviction.

"The best thing to do is to go through the proper channels." The Sheriff told her.

This statement turned Stiles' face to disappointment, "Dad..."

"That means calling the right law enforcement agencies, border patrol, putting out an all-points."

Stiles made a dramatic gesture, "Dad, I _can't_ just wait around for the wheels of bureaucracy to start spinning in _five_ different government offices." She pleaded to him, "Someone needs to go down there right now, find them and rescue them. I'm going."

The Sheriff gave her a pointed look, "I can keep you from going."

Stiles looked at her father with shock, but then again she had seen it coming, "I'd find a way." She shot back.

"I can easily tie you up and throw you into a cell." The Sheriff countered knowingly, "You can't teleport while being bound."

"I'd still find a way." She told him with a straight face.

The Sheriff could see that this wasn't going to be an easy battle for him to win, "Stiles, please. Just give me a little more time to verify something slightly more _concrete_ than a psychic vision by some guy with a third eye!" He begged her, "Look, I will call every law enforcement agency all the way down to South America if I have to. If nothing turns up, then I'll book two flights to Mexico. We'll both go. Okay?"

Stiles nodded with agreement, "Okay, okay, great." She told him, but she already had other plans running through her mind.

* * *

At the loft, Derek and Braeden stood in front of the assortment of guns. Stiles hadn't spoken to Derek since last night, but he knew that she was planning something. Something stupid and dangerous, "I still don't like relying on these things." Derek told Braeden.

"I get it. You miss your power." Braeden told him, "I would, too."

"It's not about power," Derek said lowly, "It's about being able to protect Stiles from whatever dangerous plan I know she's about to come up with. It's about being to help. I don't like feeling helpless."

Braeden gave him a curious look, "I'm human and so is she," She told as she held up a gun, "Do we look helpless?"

"You're a much better shot than me." Derek reasoned, "And I'm _definitely_ a better shot than her."

"Stiles took on three Alphas at this point and survived," Braeden reminded him. Then it suddenly made sense, "You're not coming back, are you?"

"Not alive." Derek commented with a heavy sigh, "And as far as Stiles knows...she doesn't."

"That's going to blow up in your face." Braeden said without hesitation, "She's not going be okay with you lying and dying on her."

"I am." Derek said curtly, "If it saves Scott and Kira." He looked at the weapons again, "To be honest, I don't even know if this is enough firepower to take down one Berserker."

A new voice filled the loft, "Not even close." Peter said as he walked down the spiral stair case, "Killing a Berserker is next to impossible. It's not just the firepower," He said to them, "It's breaking the  _animal_  spirit from the human."

"Well, the one person we know with that kind of experience is Argent." Derek informed his Uncle, "And he's not getting back to me nor is Allison."

"Well, then you're going to need help." Peter said with smirk, "Like Micah, maybe Liam." He listed casually, "And definitely me."

* * *

Stiles was going through Scott's closet looking for something for Micah to sniff so he could track Scott, "Here, try that." She told him as she handed him a shirt.

"Fabric softener." Micah told her. That was the fourth time Micah had said that. None of clothes in the closet seemed to have Scott's scent on it. She paced around frustrated while Micah and Liam watched her quietly.

"Oh, I know." Stiles ran into Scott's bathroom and rummaged through his hamper until she found what she was looking for. As she walked back into his room, she handed Micah the article of clothing she was looking for.

Micah made a face. Stiles was holding up a pair of boxers, "Remember, Scott's life is on the line." She told him.

However, Micah didn't take the boxers and instead took the pillow off of Scott's bed and took a sniff, "Got it."

The trio rushed down the stairs until Stiles remembered something very important, "Liam, go home." She said to him, catching him off guard, "You're not coming with us."

"Why not?" Liam asked clearly offended.

"Because it's a full moon." Stiles explained to him, "And I don't feel like driving all the way down to Mexico just to have you rip my throat out."

"You can lock me up, right?" Liam asked hopefully, "Chain me down to the back seat or something?"

"You tore through the last chains, remember?" Stiles reminded him.

"I don't know why you're so worried about me." Liam shot at her, "You should be worried about Isaac."

Stiles made an agitated face, "If I could find him I would stick him in a circle of Mountain Ash." She told him, but Liam remained firm and gave her a bitch face.

"I should still be able to go."

Stiles huffed her breath, "We would have to  _freeze_  you in carbonite to get you down there."

"Okay, then where do we get carbonite?" Liam questioned completely on board with the idea.

Stiles narrowed her eyes at him, "Seriously, you haven't seen it either?" She sees that both Micah and Liam gave confused off expressions, "I swear to God," She muttered to the ceiling, "You're staying here." She told him once more.

"What if we put me in the trunk?" Liam offered, ignoring the demand.

"You'd get out of that, too." She said to him. She could see that Liam looked more determined than before, "Liam, you've been a werewolf all of five minutes. You don't have to do this." She said gently.

"I know I don't," Liam told her, "But I want to. There's gotta be bigger chains, a bigger trunk or something." Liam pressed to her, "There has to be."

Stiles thought for a moment when an idea came to her, "Maybe there is."

* * *

Stiles, Micah, and Liam met up with Braeden at the warehouse. Braeden had just the vehicle that could be used to secure Liam for the trip, "How did you get a prison transport van?" Stiles asked in awe.

"I'm a U.S. Marshal." Braeden said simply.

"Yeah, I just thought that was just a cover." Stiles claimed clearly impressed.

In that moment, Derek pulled up with Peter in tow. The couple looked at the other as if the other had lost their mind, "Are we really bringing  _him_?" Derek asked when his eyes landed on Liam.

"Are we really bringing  _him?"_  Stiles countered back with a head tilt at Peter. Stiles looked from Peter to Derek who gave her a raised eyebrow expression. She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms.

"We're bringing everyone that we can." Peter told her breaking the glaring war that the two had going on, "And considering Scott and Kira were taken the night before a full moon, we should probably get going."

"What's that mean?"

"If Kate took Scott back to the same temple that she took Derek, how do we know she's not planning to do the same thing to him?" Micah asked.

"What, she wants to make him younger?" Stiles questioned.

"Or take him back to when he wasn't a werewolf." Derek suggested.

"A werewolf can't steal a true Alpha's power." Peter educated them, "But maybe a Nagual jaguar, with the power of Tezcatlipoca behind her..."

"Maybe she can." Stiles finished with some worry.

"So, if everyone is sufficiently freaked out, I say we get going." Peter instructed them as he headed back to Derek's car.

"We can't." Stiles told them and this earned her some looks, "Not without Landon."

* * *

At the school, Landon was at the school getting Kira's jacket out of her locker so the others could get a scent.

"I hope this works." He mumbled, but just as he closed the locker door, he heard a low growl coming from behind him.

* * *

Stiles had repeatedly tried calling Landon, but she was of course unable to reach him. She even tried Isaac, but just like before he was being unreachable as well. Stiles made a noise of protest.

"What's he doing at the school anyway?" Derek questioned the teens.

"We got Kira's sword," Micah explained, "But we needed something with a stronger scent. Landon went to get a jacket out of her locker."

Stiles had tried once more to reach Landon or Isaac, "Nothing." She said to them, "I swear to God…"

"If he has a car, he can catch up to us." Braeden inputted.

"That's a good point." Micah agreed easily, "We'll call him from the road."

"No." Stiles said quickly, "What if something happened? What if he's in trouble?"

"Fine. You stay, you find him." Peter told her, "We're gonna go on without you."

"I could call Mason." Liam piped up, "He has a study group at school. Maybe he could look for him."

Stiles casted an unfriendly look over at Peter for the comment he made, "Fine." She turned her attention toward Micah, "I need to be back there with Derek and Liam." She told him, "I've got some experience dealing with out-of-control teen wolves. You'll be okay riding with Peter?"

"He is my father." Micah reasoned with her, "Maybe we could do some bonding."

"He's 50 Shades of Shady." She reminded him, "No bonding. Play the radio and play it loud."

"Remember what we're dealing with." Peter said to the group as they stood alongside their vehicles, "It's not just Kate, it's Berserkers." He reminded them, "You might see human eyes behind those skulls. Do not assume that there's any humanity left." He warned them.

"Oh." Liam said weakly.

"This little one is terrified of them, aren't you?" Peter asked Liam sensing the fear. He took a step forward, only for Stiles to block him out the way giving him a hard look.

"Make one more move towards him," Stiles told him with a hand out in front of her as red began covering her palm, "And I'll send you flying through the wall."

Peter gave her a smirk and looked over her shoulder at Liam, "Don't worry, my friend. It is that fear that will keep you alive." Peter returned in his attention back to the group, "A reminder to everyone. You do not fight Berserkers to survive, you fight to kill."

* * *

Mason was already on his search for Landon while on the phone with Liam, "Yeah, his car's here." Mason said as he walked through the school, "You want me to look around the school and see if I can find him?"

In the desert, Peter drove first as he was followed closely by Braden in the prisoner transport. In the back of the van, Derek had attached handcuffs and chains to Liam, "Yeah, definitely." Liam told him, "Call me as soon as you find him."

He strained against them and they seem to hold him secure to the metal bench, "All good?" Derek asked him as Liam gave him a nod, "Okay." Derek then brought out the triskelion disk, "This has been with my family for centuries." Derek explained to him, "It's a very powerful, supernatural talisman."

Liam looked at him wide-eyed, "We use it to teach Betas how to control themselves on a full moon." From his peripheral, he could see Stiles, who had been covering up the markings, face turn into a confused expression.

He turned his attention toward her and gave her a glare admonished her to keep quiet. Not mention the head jerk he gave her that told her to lie the struggling beta werewolf, "Yes, it's powerful." She lied to Liam easily, "Very powerful."

Liam had a look of relief on his face. All the while Stiles started having a sense that the lie was going to backfire on them sooner or later.

* * *

Mason was still on his search for Landon. He found Kira's jacket and Landon's phone on the stairs, "No wonder he's not answering." He commented. Landon's phone had been shut off and as he activated the screen a picture of a berserker skull appears, "What the hell?"

A shadow then fell over Mason as he heard a growl coming from behind him. Mason came face to face with a Berserker blocking his path.

* * *

On the road, Micah had the radio up loud, "Do you mind if I turn the radio down?" Peter yelled over the music. Micah gave him the go ahead and Peter adjusted the volume.

"You worried about Stiles?" Peter asked.

"I'm worried about everyone." Micah deadpanned at him.

"Do I need to be worried about you?" Peter asked sensing Micah's uneasiness as well, "We have to go through the Berserkers to get to Kate." He reminded her, "Then we have to go through Kate to get to Scott and Kira. Trust me, it's going to get messy."

"Scott says we don't kill people."

"You think Scott would kill to save Kira?" Peter questioned him, "Would you kill to save your friends?"

* * *

The red on Stiles seemed to have been branching out all over her skin. The shade hadn't changed, but right now the markings were all over her neck, "You're doing a good job." Derek whispered beside her.

"I think I let out all my impulses last night." Stiles shared, "But I still had the urge to send Peter through a wall. Not sure if it because I don't like him or what."

Derek smirked, "Nobody likes him."

"By the way, when we get back and Isaac just so happens decides to make an appearance remind me to give him hell."

"He can take care of himself."

"Yeah well his name broke the last piece of the deadpool," Stiles reminded him, "I'm not taking any chances with him or anyone for that matter. If anymore of our pack dies I  _will_  lose it."

At Stiles' statement Derek felt a sense of guilt, "Stiles-" He started.

Derek doesn't get to finish his statement as he was interrupted when there was a sound of Liam rattling against his chains, "What is it?" Stiles asked noticing Liam's struggle.

"The full moon." Liam said heavily.

"Good." Derek told him as he placed himself in between Stiles and Liam, "You'll need that power."

* * *

Kira was badly wounded. Her breathing was heavy and closed to bleeding out. She imagined her mother with her as well, "Whatever you were gonna teach me..." She told her mother, "I think you better start."

"It's alright to cry." Noshiko said gently, "It's no measure of your strength."

"But I'm not strong." Kira groaned, "I need to get up. I need to tell them..."

"How do you know you can't?"

"Because I'm not healing." She pointed out to her, "You told me why I never get sick." She remembered, "And you said I'd learn to heal."

"Then  _learn_."

"I can't." Kira struggled close to tears, "I don't know how...How to start." She released a sharp breath, "Or what to do..."

"I told you once that foxes and wolves tend not to get along." Noshiko pointed out to her, Kira looked up at her mother, "But they are similar creatures, aren't they? You've seen wolves heal. How do they do it?" Noshiko asked her, "Kira, how do they  _trigger_  it?"

"Pain." Kira responded breathing heavily, "With pain."

She looked over at the rock wall and started to pound on the obsidian rock near her. She managed to break off a piece and squeezed the sharp rock in her hand until she began to bleed. As a result her eyes began to glow orange.

* * *

Mason woke up in the basement of the school with groan and noticed that Landon was by his side, "Are you okay?" Landon asked him.

"My head..." Mason groaned as he placed a hand on his head he felt a wound, "Oh."

"Yeah, it's probably gonna hurt a lot." Landon told him.

"There was this guy." Mason told him, "Huge, really huge. He had a," He struggled to remember what he saw, "A skull on his face."

"Yeah. I know." Landon said calmly, "I saw it, too."

"My phone's gone." Mason realized.

"Yeah. I think that's the point." Landon said as he helped Mason up from the floor.

"Well, why, what's he gonna do to us?" Mason questioned him.

"I don't know." Landon admitted, "But it definitely doesn't want us to leave."

"Landon, why do you keep saying "it"?"

Just behind them, a growl echoed, it's the Berserker from before, "What is that thing?" Mason asked closed to freaking out.

"Not human." Landon replied simply.

* * *

Landon and Mason weren't the only ones who were facing a problem. Liam was still struggling against the full moon, even harder. Derek was made it his mission to avoid an incident, "Liam, you with me?" Derek asked as the beta yanked against his restraints, "We have a mantra that we use. You repeat it, you focus on the words." Derek explained to him, "It's like meditating. You say the words until you feel control coming back to you."

"Derek get to the point!" Stiles demanded.

"Okay, look at the triskelion." Derek told him as he held onto the talisman, "See the symbol? I have a tattoo on my back, it's the same thing. Each spiral means something. Alpha, Beta, Omega." He continued, "It represents the idea that we can always rise to one and fall back to another. Betas can become Alphas."

"Alphas can become Betas." Stiles finished for him.

"Can Alphas become Omegas?" Liam asked him.

Derek gave him a nod, "All you have to do is say the three words. And with each one, you tell yourself you're getting calmer, more in control."

Liam looked warily at Derek which cause Derek to look over at Stiles for some help, "Go ahead." Stiles urged Liam.

"Alpha, Beta..." Liam started to chant quickly.

"Slower." Derek advised him.

"Alpha... Beta...Omega..." But Liam was still struggling with the transformation, "Alpha...Beta...Omega..."

"Good." Derek praised him, "Say it again. Remember, every time you say the words, you're getting calmer."

But it doesn't appear to work as Stiles noticed that Liam's eye glowed the beta yellow, "Derek, I don't think the powerful talisman of self-control is working." Stiles said with some uneasiness in her voice.

"Liam, say it again!" Derek demanded to the beta.

Stiles watched as Liam struggled against the transformation, but in the end Liam loses control. He thrashed against his restraints and rocked the van and broke one of the handcuffs.

"Liam!" Stiles shouted at him. Liam's claws were already retracted as he released a roar. Liam tried to attack Stiles as he broke the other cuff. However, Derek quickly blocked the attack and he struggled with Liam.

"Braeden!" Stiles yelled to the front, "I think we're gonna need to go a little faster."

Derek was still struggling to hold Liam back, "Liam!"

* * *

In the SUV, Peter noticed that Micah was struggling as well, "We're almost there." Peter told him, "You're trying to stay in control?"

"Trying to stay  _human_." Micah told him as he continued shuffling around in the passenger seat.

"That's exactly your problem." Peter chastised him, "Scott has you thinking that control and humanity are the same for us." Micah looked at him warily, "Now, let me give you some fatherly advice. If you're gonna face something as animal as a Berserker and try to win, you need to focus on the animal inside you. You'll need every ounce of ferocity and savagery you can muster. You'll need it."

Micah took Peter's word into account completely unsure.

* * *

Liam was now fighting against Derek even as Derek was still trying to get Liam to focus on the mantra, but even Stiles knew that Derek's teaching method wasn't working, "Derek, I don't think Alpha, Beta, Omega is resonating with him."

"You know any other mantras?" He asked her with a struggle as he held Liam back. Liam lets out a groan.

"Yeah. I do." Stiles said knowingly and turned her attention on Liam, "Liam, What three things cannot long be hidden?"

Liam tried to launch forward once again, but Derek was quick to hold him back once more, "Liam!" Stiles shouted to him once more, "Liam, look at me." She demanded and Liam does look at her, "What three things cannot long be hidden?" She questioned him quickly and quietly, "What three things?"

Liam grunted against Derek, but he does manage to give an answer, "Sun... The moon... The truth." As he chanted the mantra Liam's eyes turned back into his normal color.

"That's it." Stiles told him as she noticed that he was now slowly changing back, "Say it again."

"Sun, the moon... The truth." Liam repeated this time a lot calmer and back into his human form. Stiles gave him a smile.

"Derek," Stiles said getting his attention, "We're okay."

Derek looked at Liam for confirmation, but when he sees that Liam has fully gain his humanity back and released his hold.

"I can't believe I did it." Liam scoffed with some shock, "For a minute there, I thought I was gonna tear the two of you apart."

"Yeah." Stiles breathed leaning on Derek, "That would've made for an awkward ride home." Stiles told him, "So, thanks."

"Think you can bring the same level of control and strength inside La Iglesia?" Derek asked him.

Liam flicked out his claw to demonstrate that he can.

"All right." Stiles said with some relief looking hopeful at Derek, "We might actually be able to do this."

* * *

When they arrived at La Iglesia before Stiles even has a chance to fully open the back door of the van a berserker appeared from nowhere and pulled her out, "Stiles!" Derek shouted just as the berserker tossed her to the ground.

But it appeared that the berserker didn't want Stiles, it turned it's attention toward Derek and pulled him out the van as well. Only it threw him up against a rock structure and continued to repeatedly stabbing him.

From the ground, Stiles placed her hand up as a force field surrounded Derek just as Braeden appeared attacked with a rapid fire from her shotgun causing it to flee.

Peter and the others look in shock as Stiles stood up from the ground, "How bad is it?" Peter asked him. Derek had been holding onto the same spot where he got stabbed. He removed his hand and blood came dripping out.

Stiles was staring at the wound that was bleeding. She could tell that Derek wasn't going to be able to stand and the bleeding just kept on happening.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Just get to Scott." Derek urged them, mainly looking at Stiles.

"Derek…" She whispered still not moving. She too had been bleeding with a cut on her lip.

"Just find him." He whispered to her, as a trail of blood began running down his mouth, "I'll be right behind you."

"You moron," Stiles commented as she finally moved to his side. She placed her hand over the wound, but even though her hand was actually touching the wound she could tell that the wound wasn't it healing, "Why isn't this working?" She realized as she tried focusing again, "It's not working." Stiles voice turned to panic, "Why is not working! It just worked five freaking seconds ago. "The blood continued to cover her hand, "Landon was wrong." Stiles whispered softly as a horrible thought came to surface in her head.

"Actually…he was right." Derek confessed as he struggled to breathe.

"What?"

"My name…broke the final piece…of the dead pool."

"You knew." She accused him and placed her forehead on top of his, "You knew and you still came out here." She whispered to him. She placed her hand over the wound again, but just like before there was no results, "Damn it."

"Hey, hey," He said with a heavy sigh, Stiles shook her head against his. Derek positioned a hand on her cheek, forcing her to look at him, "Save him, alright? Choose him over me."

"Derek…" But she gets cut off as Derek pulled her forward and captured her lips with his. There was a metallic taste that neither one of them could ignore. She pulled away with a heavy sigh, "Derek-"

"I love you," He whispered almost tiredly, "But I really need for you to go."

Stiles forced herself to nod against him, "I'm coming back." She told him, "You hear me? I will  _always_  come back to you." She placed her hand on his cheek. As a result, Derek felt a warm sensation overcome his body, "So hold on for me." She ordered with a break in her voice, "Hold on for us."

Stiles placed one more kiss on him, before getting up, "I'll stay with him." Braeden told her. Stiles couldn't really answer, but gave her a head nod and took a hold of the mercenary's hand. Braeden too also felt the warm sensation as she noticed the red running down Stiles' arms was turning darker.

* * *

Stiles found the others waiting on her, just inside the church. They all looked at her bloodied hand, but knew better than to say anything, "We gotta figure out where we are." Stiles stated in a blank tone.

"Stiles?" Peter tried as he had noticed that the markings were now changing into a darker shade.

"Then we gotta figure out how to find Scott and Kira." Stiles mumbled as she was not trying to think about Derek bleeding out, just outside from them.

Suddenly Stiles phone started to ring. It seemed to have snapped her out of her reverie, "How do I even have service..." She questioned pulling out her phone as she noticed that her father was calling her, "Hi, Dad." She said meekly as Liam and Micah gave her a 'what the hell' gesture as she answered the call, "Dad, I know you're angry."

"Oh, I'm beyond angry." Sheriff Stilinski's voice informed her over the phone, "I've reached a level of fury that you could not possibly comprehend."

"Dad, Derek's hurt and it doesn't look good. And…I…I gotta find Scott…I gotta find him." Stiles told him with her voice switched from a mutual tone to full of panic and urgency.

"Stiles…" The Sheriff said gently.

"Look you can ground me when I get back," Stiles told him hurriedly, "But I  _have_  to do this."

"Stiles breathe okay." He could hear that she was close to having a panic attack, "How can I help? Tell me what I can do."

"Can you find Landon?" Stiles asked him, "He was at the school when we called Mason to look for him, but now we're not hearing back from either of them." She held back a cry, "I don't know, Dad, I don't know what I'm doin'." She confessed to him a shaky voice, "You know, I'm just... I'm trying to save my friends. And Derek is…"

"Stiles, one thing at time. Okay." He told his daughter gently, "Remember you can't overwhelm yourself."

"I know." She said with a head nod even though he couldn't see it.

"I'll find Landon and Mason. You get Scott and Kira. You save your friends." The Sheriff told her.

"Dad, if it's one of the Berserkers at the school, you're gonna need firepower." She told him, "A lot."

Stiles doesn't get to tell her father bye, when a berserker appeared from the shadow. He charged right at the group, but there was enough distance that Stiles was able to hold her hand and cause him to hit the force field. Stiles tried not to look at her hands as if they had betrayed her.

"How long do you think that's going to hold?" Liam asked. They watched as the berserker started pounding on the invisible wall between them.

In response to Liam's question, the berserker pulled off one of his bone and Stiles quickly remembered how just easily one bone could easily destroy her defense, "Not long." Stiles confessed to them as the berserker struck with field causing a crack.

In a manner of seconds the invisible force field seemed to have failed causing Stiles and the others to be chased deeper into the temple.

They weren't aware that the berserker was Scott in disguise.

* * *

Outside the church, Braeden kneeled down to Derek's side, "Can you still pull a trigger?" She asked him.

"Yeah."

"All right." Braeden said as she handed him a gun, "You're gonna be okay. It's a mortal wound." She assured him, but they both knew better.

"And right now I'm feeling pretty mortal." Derek confessed with a sigh.

"Your human shots get old very quickly." She told him, "But Stiles is counting on me to keep you alive and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

* * *

In the distance, a growling sound filled the air, "You might just have to concentrate on saving yourself. Stiles will be pissed if you die too."

Braeden circled around a building and spotted Kate and one of her berserkers coming up the street.

In the basement at the school, Landon and Mason were still in the basement, "I don't hear it." Landon whispered to Mason, "Come on." He urged Mason.

But Mason grabbed Landon by the wrist, "There's only one way out on this side of the basement." Mason reminded him.

"I know." Landon said with conviction, "But if we don't get out of here, someone's going to die."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do." Landon pressed, "We have to at least see if he's blocking the exit."

When Mason peeked around the corner they were hiding in, a berserker appeared, "Yeah. He's blocking it." He told Landon.

* * *

Stiles, Peter, Liam, and Micah had managed to lose berserker Scott, but now they had no idea where they were, Micah handed Kira's sword to Stiles, "Go find Kira and Scott." Micah told her.

Just as the same berserker from earlier appeared, "Go!" Micah urged her. Stiles looked at them one last time, just as Micah, Peter, and Liam faced off with the berserker.

Braeden was now facing off with the berserker with Kate at it's side as they got closer. But none of the bullets produced any bullets wounds. Seeing that Braeden was now out of ammo, the berserker tried to reach for Braeden, but encountered the force field Stiles had placed around her.

"We can easily fix that," Kate smirked at her without giving a verbal order the berserker pulled off one of the bones and stabbed into the force field, making it shatter and grabbed the Mercenary by her throat, "How much did they pay you?" Kate growled at her.

" _Way_  more than you're worth." She grunted out.

The sound of engines filled the air. When Kate turned towards the noise there was an arrival of two SUVs filled with Mexican hunters. Araya Calavera and her "family" arrived with Chris and Allison Argent, Deputy Parrish, and Isaac Lahey. The moment Isaac released a loud wolf roar, everybody opened fire on the Kate and the berserker.

Taking cover, both Kate and the berserker abandoned Braeden and hid.

* * *

Stiles was searching deeper into the temple, until she found Kira. She quickly hugged her, "Are you okay?"

"It's Scott." Kira said to her, "Stiles, it's Scott."

"What?"

"The Berserker. It's him." Kira told her taking her hand and leading her back the way Stiles had came, "Kate did it."

"What are you talking about?"

"She made him into one of them." Kira explained to her, "I don't know how, but it's him. If they don't know it, they could kill him."

"That's why Landon's not here." Stiles realized quickly, "They won't know they're killing Scott."

Micah, Liam, and Peter all took turns taking on "Berserker Scott". They all managed to get in some good punches, but he rebuffed each in turn and threw them all into the walls.

Kate ran from the Calaveras who were now firing at her. Kate's berserker took out several hunters while she hid in the cover of one of their trucks.

* * *

Allison headed into the temple as Isaac and Braeden both have managed to reach Derek once more, "Derek?" Isaac tried to him.

"You're in trouble." Derek told him tiredly.

"What?" Isaac asked clearly confused.

But all he does is give Isaac a small smile, "Take care of her." Derek told him, just before he stopped breathing.

Isaac was close to tears, "Derek…" Isaac said breathed out. From inside the temple, thanks to his enhanced-hearing, Isaac could hear the sound a loud and painful scream that turned into a howl.

* * *

Landon was holding a metal baseball bat in his hand, "Are you serious?" Mason asked as if Landon had lost his mind.

"Very."

"A baseball bat?" Mason repeated, "Against that guy?" Meaning the berserker that still was blocking their way out, "Or thing or whatever it is."

"My friends are in trouble." Landon snapped at him, "And so is Liam, your best friend." Landon pointed out to him, "They need me. I'm going for it." He told him as he started to head toward the berserker, "And yes, with a baseball bat."

When Landon continued to make his way to face the creature alone, but to his surprise Mason ran screaming past him with a bat to attack. The berserker made quick work of them both, sending them flying back down the hall. It then comes after them.

"I thought you said it wanted to keep us here, not hurt us." Mason said from the ground.

"I think it changed its mind." Landon told him. Just as the berserker inched closer to them a voice filled the air, "Excuse me."

The berserker halted his advance and it's revealed that Sheriff Stilinski was in the basement as well. "Catch." He told the berserker as he tossed an object to it.

The lettering on the top says  _"Front Toward Enemy_." It was a Claymore mine. Landon, Mason and the Sheriff took cover and the sheriff triggered the mine. It exploded and turned the berserker into bone fragments and dust.

"You both okay?" The Sheriff asked them as they coughed from the dust filled air.

"It was after me." Landon told him, "It wanted me to stay in Beacon Hills. I think this was all some sort of distraction."

"Because you knew they're trying to kill someone." The Sheriff told him, "Stiles already said that things weren't looking good for Derek."

Landon shook his head, "There's someone they're trying to kill as well."

"Kill who?" Mason questioned confused as to what was going on.

"Scott." Landon told the Sheriff.

* * *

Allison had finally caught up with Peter, Micah, and Liam as they took on the berserker. She was using a shotgun since her arrows didn't work the last time, "It's not going down!" Micah shouted to her.

"Nothing's getting through that armor." Allison realized just as her gun clicked empty, "And I'm running out of ammo." Allison informed the were-creatures as she produced another gun.

She continued firing just as she ran out bullets, berserker Scott turned his attention to her and quickly made his way over to her. However, Peter managed to tackle the berserker out the way, leaving Allison in shock. He quickly tossed a bone dagger to her, "Take him!" He urged her as he and Liam took a hold of the berserker's arm and drove him into a stone wall, "Aim for the skull."

 

Just as Allison was rearing to make the killing blow, Stiles rushed in with Kira by her side, "Stop!" Allison noticed that her neck and arms were covered with the dark markings, but also how Stiles’ body language was almost animalistic. There was no doubt in her mind, there was going to be another problem.

"It's Scott." Kira shared, "The Berserker is Scott."

Liam looked into its eyes and sees the eyes of his Alpha, "She's right." Liam realized and Allison quickly dropped the bone dagger.

This moment of hesitation was all Scott needed to free himself. He drove Peter into Liam and threw them both off him. He even aimed for Allison, but Kira blocked his attack with her sword. Allison whipped out her electric taser just as a force field formed around berserker Scott.

* * *

Outside, Isaac and Braeden continued to fight off the berserker. Just as Kate began taking out hunters one by one. Everyone, including Braeden, Chris, Parrish, and Araya, opened fire again. This time at Kate.

"This isn't working!" Parrish shouted over the gunshots.

"Just keep shooting!" Braeden shouted.

Chris remembered that there was one way to slow down a supernatural creature. He loaded up what appeared to be a bullet filled with Yellow Wolfsbane into his pistol.

* * *

Scott attempted to throw some punches against the barrier, but like before it was useless, "Scott, Scott," Liam tried getting his attention. It seemed to have work, "Listen, you're not a monster!" Liam pleaded to him. Berserker Scott gave him a low growl as he removed one of the bones, "You're a werewolf!" Liam reminded him, remembering the conversation on the night of his first full moon, "Like me."

From behind the mask, Liam could see something change in Scott's eyes. He then seemed to struggle, tearing off the pieces of bone armor. He reached up and ripped the bear skull from his head in two pieces with a mighty roar. The skull comes apart with a flash of golden light. As Scott screamed in his wolf form.

He looked around and sees his pack and Peter all look at him, "You." Scott accused him growling, "The only one who knew as much as Argent about Berserkers. About the Nagual. You taught Kate. You helped her."

Kira, Allison, Micah, and Liam all moved away from Peter on guard. Kira wielded her Katina, Allison, from her jacket pocket, wielded her small crossbow, Micah and Liam both had their eyes glowing with their claws retracting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TOMORROW ON THE NEW HELLMOUTH'S SEASON 4 FINALE
> 
> "Stiles! Don't!" Scott cried out. Stiles ignored Scott's plea as she connected the fist to ground one more time and instead of the Scott and the others suffering from the impact, only Kate's body reacts as she was sent forward this time, landing right in front of Stiles.
> 
> Chris Argent and Isaac were now standing behind Stiles. Chris was armed with his gun that was now loaded with the yellow wolfbanes at Stiles, "Stiles, you don't want to do this." Chris tried calling out to her.
> 
> "Why not?" Stiles told him as she had her palm flat as if she was pressing down on something that seemed to be holding Kate down to the ground, "This is all her fault. Not only could she not just leave Derek alone. She went after Scott and Kira."
> 
> "I'm okay Stiles." Scott tried as well. It seemed to work as Stiles looked over to him and Scott could see a brief moment of relief on her face, "I'm okay and so is Kira. We're all okay."
> 
> "Not all of us are." Stiles spoke darkly, returning her attention back to Kate, "She has got to pay for what she has done."


	24. Smoke and Mirrors pt.2

"I planned on killing her," Peter confessed to them, seeing the looks on their faces. "I wanted to avenge the death of my family."

"Because that worked out so well for you last time." Scott growled.

"Why should we believe anything you say?" Allison questioned him with her small crossbow aimed at him, "You have been manipulating us since the very beginning. After all, you're the one that started the whole dead pool."

"Everything," Scott told him with a straight face, "That we have faced for the past year has been your fault."

"You not only attacked Scott, but also attacked my best friend on _purpose_ and caused him to do things that he had no control over and still has no control over." Allison ranted.

"If I recall," Peter stated, "I helped saved that Whittemore kid." He reminded them, "Not to mention I helped bring Stiles back during the Nogitsune possession. That has got to count for something." But the looks that Allison and Scott were giving him said otherwise, "How many times do I have to apologize before I can actually convince you guys, I'm one of the guys." Scott and Allison remained undeterred, "Yes, I'm a former lunatic that came back from the dead, but I've helped you."

"Because you always got something out of it." Allison snapped at him, "Jackson nearly died when you and Derek impaled him. After your attack on Landon, he disappeared for two whole days. Only for you to use him so you can come back from the dead."

Liam, Kira, and Micah all looked at the confrontation going on in front of them, "The real question isn't if you're a good guy or not Peter." Scott finally spoke getting his attention, "The real question is why after all this time did you change your mind."

"I'm a creature of habit," Peter told them, "I lie and manipulate to get what I want, but now," He looked in Micah's direction in particular, "Things have changed.  _I_  have changed."

While everybody had been focusing on what Peter was saying, Micah noticed that someone had been missing from the entire conversation, "Where's Stiles?" Micah asked.

* * *

In all the chaos that was happening on the outside of the Church. The berserker was still running down all the hunters that were in its way, the only thing Stiles could see was Derek's dead body. She even tried counting her fingers, which appeared to be claws, hoping she was just having some kind of horrible nightmare. But when she counted all the way to ten, it forced her to realize that it was all very real. Even Derek's unmoving body in front of her.

Stiles didn't know how she could tell that he was gone without the bond. She had felt in the tunnels after she had found Kira. It was nothing compared to the first time she thought he was dead, when Peter had trapped them in the school. No, this was something a lot worse. It was like she literally had been torn into two.

Now seeing him and feeling him actually not breathing made all the control she had struggled to not go berserk herself disappear. She didn't even try to the breathing technique that Derek had taught her. She simply had just let it go to a point where she couldn't handle the sudden need for a powerful release.

The battle between the berserker and the hunters was still going on when Stiles materialized right in the middle of the battlefield and slammed her fist into the ground causing the ground surrounding them to crack and shake.

Everyone looked around them confused as the ground shook above them. "What was that?" Liam asked them, looking around worriedly.

"Stiles." Kira answered knowingly.

**FLASHBACK**

Kira and Stiles are running through with Stiles leading the way, "They're just up ahead." Stiles tells her as they continue running. Just as they turn Stiles out of the blue felt her heart give two lub dubs, before she crashes down to the ground.

Kira is by her side, "Are you okay?" Kira asks worriedly.

"Yeah I'm-" Stiles starts to say until she is overwhelm by a burning sensation coming from her heart. Stiles clenches her in pain.

"Stiles," Kira calls out to her, "Stiles, what's happening?"

"I don't...I don't..." Stiles struggles to say, but she can't get a full sentence out when stabbing sensation surfaces to her side, "My side. Check my left side."

Kira quickly lifts up Stiles' shirt, "There's nothing-" Kira starts telling her, only to see Stiles' skin develop a dark blue bruise, "A bruise, but it doesn't look like you hit anything."

"That explains alot." Stiles comments in pain, "Not too bad." Kira just gives her a confused look, "I'll explain everything later. Help me up?"

Kira nods as takes hold Stiles hand and realizes that it is the hand that has Derek’s blood on it, "Stiles-"

"Later." Stiles tells her as she attempts to move them forward. Stiles doesn't even give three steps when her entire body jerks back, throwing herself against the wall. Kira tries to reach Stiles' side, but stops when Stiles puts her hand out, "Stay back!"

Kira watches helplessly as Stiles releases a loud cry of pain as her body starts doing something completely strange.

**END FLASHBACK**

"One of the markings on the bruise had turned black.” Kira told them, remembering what she saw, “I swear it was like she was turning."

"There was something different about her," Allison agreed, “How did she get the bruise?”

"The moment we got here Derek was attacked by a berserker," Micah told them, "It didn't look too good. He was suffering from a wound on his left side. The  _same_  side."

"And if what you said is true than we're about to have a real problem on our hands." Peter shared with them, "And we better get out of this cave if we want to not be buried alive and have a shot of actually staying alive."

Without even needing to say another word, the group broke out into a run down the cavern, "What's about to happen?" Kira questioned as another powerful tremor shook through the earth.

"You're about to witness what happens when a soul-bonded mate gets killed supernaturally."

* * *

Due to the trimmers, everyone and everything around them seemed to have been shaken and collapsed in the process. Isaac was the first to recover and noticed that Stiles wasn't behaving like herself, "Stiles!" He tried calling out to her. In response he feels a warm sensation overcome his body. Even Chris and Jordan were overcome with the sensation.

"What is about to happen?" Chris asked, sensing something wasn't right.

"Stiles is about to lose control." Isaac realized just as Stiles lets out a roar as she clapped her hands together and sent another wave of force throughout the field knocking over the Calaveras family, while Isaac, Chris and Jordan remained standing.

"Araya," Stiles called out finally speaking. Her voice was different. Everything about her was different. There were a series of red markings that covered all over her arms and legs, even she stood firm and confident, just like she had done during the possession, with her body slightly crouched ready to fight, "When we met you wanted to know why I haven't done anything to protect my pack," Stiles said, "Because back then, I didn't have much control and would've destroyed a lot of innocent lives that day."

At that statement, Araya and her family were also covered with a warm sensation while Stiles continued on her explanation, "I remember everything I did during my possession. And the worst part is I remember  _liking_  it. Because I felt  _powerful_. I felt fearless. And most of all, in control. But as a fallen pack member once said... Control is  _overrated_." This time Stiles turned to the Calaveras family, Isaac, Chris, and Jordan. Everyone of them could see that Stiles' face now covered with the black markings now. Not only that, but they can get a clear view of her claws and fangs.

Stiles had essentially taken on the features of a werewolf without the facial distortion.

From a fallen pillar Kate appeared as she had suffered from the second aftershock Stiles had sent through the air. It was like Stiles could sense her movement as she snapped her head in Kate's direction, "You," Stiles claimed making a hand gesture that had sent Kate straight into her hand, letting Stiles grip her around the neck, "This is all your fault."

Even though Kate tried to break free, it doesn’t work as Stiles sent her flying into a rock column that had fallen down.

Kate recovered from the assault. She got up with a growl easily transformed and sprung at Stiles only to get hit by a force field that had been surrounding her, "You can't touch me." Stiles told her grimly, "Your God isn't here to protect you from the likes of me."

As to prove her point, Stiles lifted her palm up again and this time lifting Kate into the air, before slamming her palm onto ground causing Kate to crash into the ground hard.

* * *

Scott and the others made out of the church just in time to see Stiles send Kate flying through a nearby column repeatedly. At one point one of the attacks sends Kate falling in front of them. Scott looked in shock as Kate recovered from the throw, "You." Kate growled at him, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint."

Kate's eyes landed on Peter, "You."

"Me."

"Kate!" Stiles voice filled the air as she came charging at them she had another fist ready.

"Stiles! Don't!" Scott cried out. Stiles ignored Scott's plea as she connected it to ground one more time and instead of the Scott and the others suffering from the impact, only Kate's body reacts as she was sent forward this time, landing right in front of Stiles.

Chris Argent and Isaac were now standing behind Stiles. Chris was armed with his gun that was now loaded with the yellow wolfsbane at Stiles, "Stiles, you don't want to do this." Chris tried calling out to her.

"Why not?" Stiles told him as she had now had another tight hold on the back of Kate’s neck pressing her down, "This is all her fault. Not only could she not just leave Derek alone. She went after Scott and Kira."

"I'm okay Stiles." Scott tried as well. It seemed to work as Stiles looked over to him and Scott could see a brief moment of relief on her face, "I'm okay and so is Kira. We're all okay."

"Not all of us are." Stiles spoke darkly, returning her attention back to Kate, "She has got to pay for what she has done."

"And she will," Allison spoke walking slowly up to Stiles, "There's always another way. We know, okay? Just let us handle it. You've done enough."

For a moment, Stiles looked between the pack and Kate. She even turned her to see Chris Argent with his guns armed at her. It was tense and the markings were still black, "No I haven't." With another wave of her hand the pack and Chris Argent found themselves unable to make any kind of movements toward them.

Stiles released her hold on Kate, but Kate was now struggling against an invisible weight on her, "For someone who has been a hunter since they were a kid, you are pretty stupid." Stiles spat at her, "Do you know what happens when someone has threaten or hurt this pack?" Stiles questioned her as she formed a flame into the palm of her hand, "Do you know what happens to the mate of werewolf when they are killed?" Stiles glanced thoughtfully between the flame in her palm and Kate, "Let's see how you like being burned alive."

"Stiles no!" Scott cried out to his friend helplessly. He continued to try to make a move, but it was useless.

Just before Stiles could even launch the flame at the were-jaguar the sound of a howl echoed off the ruined buildings behind them.

* * *

Everyone looked in the direction of where it came from as a black wolf suddenly appeared from bounding over a broken wall where Derek's body had been before.

It looked directly at Stiles and it's eyes glowed blue at her. In result, the markings and on Stiles changed back into a lighter shade of red fading almost instantly, the werewolf claws and fangs disappeared, and the flame that was once in her hand now vanished.

The effects of Stiles reverting back to normal as it appeared to exhaust her, causing Stiles to fall knee first to the ground.

Kate attempted to take a chance at Stiles' vulnerability and lunge towards her, only for the black wolf to react quickly and jumped over Stiles to attack Kate.

It took her down, snarling and biting as Kate screamed and tried to crawl away from the wolf, which was slowing transforming into a man.

As the wolf transformed, Scott and the others were shocked to see a naked Derek Hale staring down the fallen were-jaguar.

"You were..." Kate babbled in shock as she still backed away, "You were dead."

"No." Derek said with a victorious smug smile, "I was  _evolving._  Something you'll never do."

The berserker that had been fighting against the hunters, randomly appeared from the shadows making its way to attack once more, but Derek was quick to sense it coming and able to intervene and avoided the claws and instead grabbed onto its skull mask with both hands – ripping it in two pieces without a struggle. With a flash of yellow light the berserker turned to dust.

Kate scrambled to her feet away to retreat. She doesn't get far as Chris quickly moved closer to them and took aim and fired another yellow wolfsbane bullet. It made impact in her leg and sent Kate flying back onto the dusty street. She managed to get up and run inside the church **.**

* * *

"You're alive." Stiles' voice echoed through the quiet air. Derek turned to see the red markings on Stiles' back. Only they were no longer jagged ones, like they always had been. Instead, they took form of a familiar shape. It was the same marking as the tattoo on his back. The Triskelion glowed a bright red on hers as well, before disappearing. Stiles lifted up her head toward him, but still made no sudden movements, "You're alive." She repeated, this time she started breathing quickly and heavily. She remained on her knees even as Derek walked over to her and got on the ground with her.

"Breathe Stiles." Derek commanded her gently, even though Stiles started shaking her head, "You can do it."

"You...ass," Stiles huffed at him between breathes, "You died on me..."

"Stiles-"

"I can't with you..." She whispered as she struggled to breathe, "Stop it. Just stop it."

"Now is not the time to be arguing with me," Derek advised her, still using his gentle tone, "You need to focus on-"

Stiles cuts him off as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him heavily. Derek caught her easily as he wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. When they pull away, Stiles' eyes have a purple glow.

"I'm not talking to you." Stiles told him weakly, before she passed out into his arms.

* * *

Kate had made it deep into the church, but both Chris and Allison were following her. Chris kept shooting at her even as he was close to running out of ammo. Kate stopped at a dead end and faced her former family.

"You want to kill me, Chris?" Kate asked when she stopped running, "Allison?"

"No." Allison told her, but she still had her bow pointed at her, "But we don't want to save you anymore either." Allison told her aunt in a hard tone. Kate turned to her brother for some confirmation.

"Is this true?" Kate asked her brother.

"I don't know that you're worth saving." Chris told her without a hint of remorse. He still had his gun trained on her.

"Just like when we were kids." Kate said with a slow nod, "Always trying to make me the bad guy." She said to her brother, "You can't see them clearly anymore, can you?" She looked between her brother and her niece, "Scott's not your little hero." She spat at them, "None of 'em are. They're all monsters."

"The only monster I see is you." Chris told her.

"They nearly killed you Allison." Kate reminded her niece, "They killed your  _mother_."

"My mother died  _honoring_  the family code." Allison corrected her, "Something you and Gerard  _never_  did."

"We operate under a new code." Chris said to his sister.

"We protect those who can't protect themselves." Allison finished.

But it doesn't seem to move Kate one bit, "You're not gonna kill me." Kate told them, shaking her head at them, "And you're not gonna catch me." Kate said panting as she made her way through her former family, "Not you." She groaned getting closer to the exit, "Not Peter. And not the Calaveras."

Chris looked over at his daughter as she gave him a small head nod and without warning shot Kate with the yellow wolfsbane once again. This time Kate fell to the ground without getting up.

* * *

As morning dawned, everyone was out of the temple and the church. The Calaveras family, along with Braeden, were loading up their weapons into their vehicles.

"There's enough yellow wolfsbane to keep Kate out for the trip back." Chris informed them as he loaded his unconscious into the back of his vehicle.

"Still taking her to that werewolf jail?" Derek asked him, while he had watched, "How do you know she won't escape this time?"

"Because this time I personally took care of this."

"I want to say thank you," Derek mentioned to him, "I know what it's like to go against your own family to save the ones you love."

As the sentence was spoken, Chris and Derek both looked to Allison and Stiles being held onto tightly by the rest of the pack.

* * *

Braeden had just finished loading up her weapons, "So you're not really a U.S. Marshal, are you?" A voice asked her from behind. She turned to see Stiles looking right at her with a knowing glance and a smile on her face.

"I was." Braeden admitted to her, "But I spent too long looking for one person." She confessed, "It's hard to keep a job when part of it becomes an obsession."

"So what are you doing to now?" Stiles asked with her arms crossed, "Still going to hunt rouge creatures of the night for money?"

"Girl's gotta eat."

* * *

Derek had been watching Stiles hug the life out of Scott, when Peter and Isaac both appeared by his side, "Glad to see you didn't die." Peter told him.

"Yeah," Derek said looking suspiciously at his uncle, "You know killing her isn't going to bring them back."

"Yeah, I know." Peter admitted, "How do you do it? How do you move on?"

Derek tried not to look so smug at his uncle's question, "You just found out you had a son. How spending some quality time with him."

Peter looked over at Micah, who stood alongside with the others.

"And you know," Isaac inputted, "Stop being 50 Shades of Shady."

* * *

Noshiko met with Kira at the school after bell had rang, "The shard of obsidian that you brought back, Kira." Noshiko told her with pride in her voice, "There's a reason you kept it and a reason your father took the liberty of making an alteration to it."

Noshiko handed Kira black stone that was shaped into a hira-shuriken known more commonly as a throwing star.

"Do you know what it is?" She asked her.

"A tail." Kira said with a smile.

"Your first." Noshiko informed her.

* * *

At the school in the locker room, Liam was trying to explain the reason as to why Stiles, Scott, Liam, and Kira missed not only a lacrosse game, but some practices as well, "Then Stiles said that Scott and Allison were stuck in Mexico and Kira was the only one who knew how to get there which was they missed the game." Liam explained.

"Yeah," Stiles agreed, "So we went down to Mexico to drive them back from Mexico and that's why we all missed practice." Coach Finstock narrowed his eyes at her, "'Cause...We were all in Mexico."

He looked at Stiles with some suspicion, before turning his attention to Scott, "You took Allison on a date to Mexico?"

"It was our first real date." Scott said lamely as he got stared at intensely.

"In Mexico?" Coach Finstock repeated once more.

"They wanted to do something special." Stiles interjected jumping to Scott's defense, "Since it would be their first one since she got back from France."

Coach Finstock looked at Liam, Scott, and Stiles questionably, "Okay. I believe you." He told them.

The werewolves and Stiles tried really hard not show the shock on their faces, "Really?" Stiles couldn't help, but ask.

"Absolutely not." Finstock said strongly, "But I've had experiences south of the border that would knock the genitals off you." They all made displeasured faces, but they went unnoticed by the Coach.

"Still, let me be clear to you two." Coach Finstock said gesturing between Scott and Stiles, "This kid's the best talent I've seen in years. So he's your responsibility now." He said placing a hand on Liam's shoulder, "You're the Triple Threat and you are gonna stick together." He told them, "You're gonna look out for each other and you're gonna have each other's backs." He lectured them, "You got it?"

Scott and Stiles looked over at Liam with a smile, "We got it." Scott told him.

* * *

"Do you think we'll be able to find her?" Micah asked Peter in the apartment Peter had downtown.

"I don't know, there's a reason why Talia took my memory away." Peter said to him, "Maybe we shouldn't and instead focus on us?"

Micah looked at Peter with a hint of suspicion, but it passed when he could see that Peter was actually being genuine, "Okay."

* * *

At the Sheriff's station, Landon and Allison handed over a book to Deputy Parrish. Of course, the deputy gave them confused looks, "This used to be on a hard drive." Allison explained to him as he opened up the book to the Kanima section, "But we eventually decided it might be a good idea to have a hard copy around."

"So we put it in a book." Landon told him.

"What is it?"

"It's called the Bestiary." Allison explained to him as he opened the book to the kanima section, "It's like an  _encyclopedia_  of mythical creatures."

"And I think we found out what you might be," Landon told him as he turned over to the next page. The page was still in archaic Latin and small picture of a lizard-like creature, but there seemed to some english translation noted to the side, " _will be immune to harm from fire"_

Parrish looked over the english translations quietly and started at the picture, "So I'm some sort of lizard?"

"Salamander," Landon told him, "And don't worry you wouldn't be the first overgrown lizard this town has had."

* * *

Kate was still woozy from the yellow wolfsbane when she found herself in a Plexiglas cell on the secret supernatural floor in Eichen House, "You actually think this is gonna hold me?" She roared aloud as she started to bang on the glass, but realized that it was useless, "You think you can shoot me up with wolfsbane, make me docile and weak," This time Kate smashed her fist into the glass, but it was useless, "And I won't find a way out?"

In response to Kate's challenge a new voice filled the very room she was in, "It's not just the wolfsbane." Kate's cellmate told her, "It's the mountain ash wood framework of the cells. It's all around us."

"Who the hell are you?" Kate asking in an unfriendly tone.

"I could tell you." The cellmate told her as he stood up from the bed, "But it's easier if I just... show you." Kate's cellmate then stepped into the lightening and Kate could see that he was sporting a bandage around his head.

Wordlessly, the man then removed bandage that had been wrapped around his head and opened his "third eye"

Kate suddenly threw herself onto the clear wall the cell and screamed. Her screams echoed along with the other trapped supernatural beings.

* * *

In the Sheriff's office, Stiles was able to reunite with her father with a hug, "Dad, you smell terrible." Stiles told her father.

"Yup." Sheriff Stilinski told her, "You do too." Micah stood by awkwardly when the Sheriff looked Stiles' shoulder, "Come here." He told the werecoyote.

He too embraced Micah, "I'm just so glad you're both safe." He said with some heavy relief, "Hey, what do you say we get outta here, get something to eat?"

"Great." Stiles chirped, "I'm starving."

"Okay." He told them. As they broke up the hug Stiles realized that she couldn't move nor could she shimmer her way free. She looked down to see that she was handcuffed to a nearby desk.

"Yo, Daddy?" She tried to get her father's attention, but he was too busy focusing on Micah.

"What's your favorite food?" The Sheriff asked him as he led the way out the station.

"Uh..." Micah told him as he got escorted out the room.

"I was thinking pizza." The Sheriff told him.

"Hey!" She yelled at them. She tried to yank of the handcuff, but it made a clanging sound as it was unable to be broken, "Dad?" She tried, but got no answer, "Micah?"

She attempted another call out, but neither one of them came back. Stiles sighed tiredly and was slumped on the desk, until she could sense a presence in the room with her, "I'm still not talking to you."

"That would be a first." Derek commented, stepping around from the corner of the office, "You can't ignore me forever."

"I can try."

"Stiles-"

"No, Derek, I thought you died..." Stiles muttered, trying to break out the handcuffs, "I  _felt_  it. I literally felt you stop breathing and it...it was horrible. Honestly, I'm not sure if it was because Landon predicted it or if it was part of the blood exchange-"

"It was probably a bit of both."

"That's is not helping your case right now." Stiles countered, "You knew you were going to die!"

"I did," Derek confessed to her, stalking his way toward her, "But the last time Landon told you someone was going to die you got yourself stabbed. I wasn't going to let you place yourself in danger like that again." Stiles looked ready to interrupt until Derek placed his hand over her mouth, "It's in my nature to protect you. Just like it's in yours to try and protect everyone. Do you understand?"

Stiles nodded against his hand and Derek dropped it away, "You're going to make up for that."

"I know."

"Any ideas on how?"

Derek smirked as his eyes started glowing blue, "Go on a real date with me."

In reaction, Stiles' own eyes were glowing purple, "It's a start." She told him with a smile on her face just as Derek pulled them together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The canon-related ending will be up tmrw. Thanks so much for reading and the support you guys. It's been a Hale of a ride. :) You guys are the best!


	25. Mirrors and Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the official ending of the New Hellmouth's season 4
> 
> After Smoke and Mirrors part 1 Enjoy!
> 
> P.S you can find me on [tumblr](http://iKnightWriter.tumblr.com/) can't wait to see you there :)

"All for power." Peter confessed in a cool obvious tone, "For my family's power. To be _rightfully_ inherited by me." With eyes glowing blue, Peter slowly began going through a transformation that included much head twisting and bone cracking, "Not usurped by some _idiot_ teenage boy, so incorruptible, he won't shed the blood of his enemies even when justified." His forehead became more triangular and pronounced with deep ridges, "You don't deserve your power. Not power like this." Peter had finished the transformation with his ears enlarged and point and he has bigger fangs.

Micah, Kira, Allison, and Liam were all still ready to attack Peter at the same time, but Scott held them back strongly, "Don't." He told them.

"You were my Beta first, Scott." Peter reminded him as he crouched down ready to attack, "It was my bite that  _changed_  your life. And my bite that can  _end_  it."

"Then, end it, Peter." Scott challenged him as he began shifting himself, "Because you won't get another chance."

Both growled and launched themselves, crashing into each other in the air. However, Scott doesn't get an upper hand as Peter began to get the best of him as he threw Scott into the walls, "Come on, Scott." Peter taunted him as he grabbed him by the neck, "Fight like an Alpha."

This seemed to help Scott a bit as Scott was able to gain the upper hand briefly landing several blows to Peter's face. This seemed to work for a second, only for Peter to recover the lead and send Scott a powerful blow causing Scott to stagger, "You want to defeat me?" Peter questioned the fallen Alpha, "You're going to have to kill me!" He threw Scott across the room.

With Scott down, both Liam and Micah stood ready in front of Peter ready to take him. However, Peter doesn't even seem bothered by the two as he threw an old church pew which crashed over theirs head. Kira and Allison quickly armed themselves with their respected weapons as Peter was ready to attack them.

Seeing this seems to set something off in Scott. He raised to his feet again and attacked Peter again. This time the old wolf couldn't land a punch as Scott easily avoided every single one.

He then punched Peter so hard he flew across the church landing hard on his back. Scott leapt on top of his body with his eyes glowing red, "You were never an alpha Peter," Scott told him, "But you were always a monster." This seemed to enrage Peter who tried to make a move, but Scott was ready and smashed a fist down on Peter seemingly breaking his jaw and knocking him out.

Seeing the older wolf out Scott transformed back into his human form. He turned to see the others look at him in awe, but he noticed that someone important was missing from the group, "Where's Stiles?"

* * *

In all the chaos that was happening on the outside of the Church. The berserker was still running down all the hunters that were in its way, the only thing Stiles could see was Derek's dead body. She even tried counting her fingers, which appeared to be claws, hoping she was just having some kind of horrible nightmare. But when she counted all the way to ten, it forced her to realize that it was all very real. Even Derek's unmoving body in front of her.

Stiles didn't know how she could tell that he was gone without the bond. She had felt in the tunnels after she had found Kira. It was nothing compared to the first time she thought he was dead, when Peter had trapped them in the school. No, this was something a lot worse. It was like she literally had been torn into two.

Now seeing him and feeling him actually not breathing made all the control she had struggled to not go berserk herself disappear. She didn't even try to the breathing technique that Derek had taught her. She simply had just let it go to a point where she couldn't handle the sudden need for a powerful release.

The battle between the berserker and the hunters had halted when Stiles materialized right in the middle of the battlefield and slammed her fist into the ground causing the ground surrounding them to crack and shake.

* * *

Everyone looked around them confused until the ground shook above them. "What was that?" Liam asked them, looking around worriedly.

"Stiles." Kira answered knowingly.

**FLASHBACK**

Kira and Stiles are running through with Stiles leading the way, "They're just up ahead." Stiles tells her as they continue running. Just as they turn Stiles out of the blue felt her heart give two lub dubs, before she crashes down to the ground.

Kira is by her side, "Are you okay?" Kira asks worriedly.

"Yeah I'm-" Stiles starts to say until she is overwhelm by a burning sensation coming from her heart. Stiles clenches her in pain.

"Stiles," Kira calls out to her, "Stiles, what's happening?"

"I don't...I don't..." Stiles struggles to say, but she can't get a full sentence out when stabbing sensation surfaces to her side, "My side. Check my left side."

Kira quickly lifts up Stiles' shirt, "There's nothing-" Kira starts telling her, only to see Stiles' skin develop a dark blue bruise, "A bruise, but it doesn't look like you hit anything."

"That explains alot." Stiles comments in pain, "Not too bad." Kira just gives her a confused look, "I'll explain everything later. Help me up?"

Kira nods as takes hold Stiles hand and realizes that it is the hand that has Derek’s blood on it, "Stiles-"

"Later." Stiles tells her as she attempts to move them forward. Stiles doesn't even give three steps when her entire body jerks back, throwing herself against the wall. Kira tries to reach Stiles' side, but stops when Stiles puts her hand out, "Stay back!"

Kira watches helplessly as Stiles releases a loud cry of pain as her body starts doing something completely strange.

**END FLASHBACK**

"One of the markings on the bruise had turned black.” Kira told them, remembering what she saw, “I swear it was like she was turning."

"There was something different about her," Allison agreed, “How did she get the bruise?”

"The moment we got here Derek was attacked by a berserker," Micah told them, "It didn't look too good. He was suffering from a wound on his left side. The same side."

"We need to get out of here." Scott informed them. Without needing to be told twice the group broke out into a run in the caverns.

* * *

Due to the trimmers, everyone and everything around them seemed to have been shaken and collapsed in the process. Isaac was the first to recover and noticed that Stiles wasn't behaving like herself, "Stiles!" He tried calling out to her. In response he feels a warm sensation overcome his body. Even Chris and Deputy Parrish were overcome with the sensation.

"Isaac what is about to happen?" Chris asked, sensing something wasn't right.

"Stiles is about to lose control." Isaac realized just as Stiles clapped her hands together and sent another wave of force throughout the field knocking over the Calaveras family, while Isaac, Chris and Jordan remained standing.

"Araya," Stiles called out finally speaking. Her voice was different. Everything about her was different. There were a series of red markings that covered all over her arms and legs. She stood firm and confident, just like she had done during the possession, "When we met you wanted to know why I haven't done anything to protect my pack," Stiles said, "Because back, I didn't have much control and would've destroyed a lot of innocent lives that day."

At that statement, Araya and her family were also covered with a warm sensation while Stiles continued on her explanation, "I remember everything I did during my possession. And the worst part is I remember liking it. Because I felt powerful. I felt fearless. And most of all, in control. But as a fallen pack member once said... Control is overrated." This time Stiles turned to the Calaveras family, Isaac, Chris, and Jordan. Everyone of them could see that Stiles' face now covered with the black markings now. Not only that, but they can get a clear view of her claws and fangs.

Stiles had essentially taken on the features of a werewolf without the facial distortion.

From a fallen pillar Kate appeared as she had suffered from the second aftershock Stiles had sent through the air. It was like Stiles could sense her movement as she snapped her head in Kate's direction, "You," Stiles claimed making a hand gesture that had sent Kate straight into her hand, letting Stiles grip her around the neck, "This is all your fault."

Even though Kate tried to break free, it doesn’t work as Stiles sent her flying into a rock column that had fallen down.

Kate recovered from the assault. She got up with a growl easily transformed and sprung at Stiles only to get hit by a force field that had been surrounding her, "You can't touch me." Stiles told her grimly, "Your God isn't here to protect you from the likes of me."

As to prove her point, Stiles lifted her palm up again and this time lifting Kate into the air, before slamming her palm onto ground causing Kate to crash into the ground hard.

* * *

Scott and the others made out of the church just in time to see Stiles send Kate flying through a nearby column repeatedly. At one point one of the attacks sends Kate falling in front of them. Scott looked in shock as Kate recovered from the throw, "You." Kate growled at him, "You're supposed to be dead."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"Kate!" Stiles voiced filled the air as she came charging at them she had another fist ready.

"Stiles! Don't!" Scott cried out. Stiles ignored Scott's plea as she connected the fist to ground one more time and instead of Scott and the others suffering from the impact, only Kate's body reacts as she is sent forward this time. Kate landed right in front of Stiles.

Chris Argent and Isaac were now standing behind Stiles. Chris was armed with his gun that was now loaded with the yellow wolfsbane at Stiles, "Stiles, you don't want to do this." Chris tried calling out to her.

"Why not?" Stiles told him as she had now had another tight hold on the back of Kate’s neck pressing her down, "This is all her fault. Not only could she not just leave Derek alone. She went after Scott and Kira."

"I'm okay Stiles." Scott tried as well. It seemed to work as Stiles looked over to him and Scott could see a brief moment of relief on her face, "I'm okay and so is Kira. We're all okay."

"Not all of us are." Stiles spoke darkly, returning her attention back to Kate, "I know she's your sister Argent and your aunt Allison, but she's got to pay for what she did."

"And she will," Allison spoke walking slowly up to Stiles, "There's always another way. We know, okay? Just let us handle it. You've done enough."

For a moment, Stiles looked between the pack and Kate. She even turned her to see Chris Argent with his guns armed at her. It was tense and the markings were still black, "No I haven't." With another wave of her hand the pack and Chris Argent found themselves back in the fray of the Calaveras family.

She looked down at Kate, who was struggling against the weight Stiles had on her, "Do you know what happens when someone has threaten or hurt this pack?" Stiles questioned her as she formed a flame into the palm of her other hand, "Let's see how you like being burned alive."

From the distance, "Stiles no!" Scott's voice rang out. He tried to make a run for it, only for Chris to hold him back.

Just before Stiles could even launch the flame at the were-jaguar the sound of a howl echoed off the ruined buildings behind them.

* * *

Everyone looked in the direction of where it came from as a black wolf suddenly appeared from bounding over a broken wall where Derek's body had been before.

It looked directly at Stiles and it's eyes glowed blue at her. In result, the markings and on Stiles changed back into a lighter shade of red fading almost instantly, the werewolf claws and fangs disappeared, and the flame that was once in her hand now vanished.

The effects of Stiles reverting back to normal as it appeared to exhaust her, causing Stiles to release Kate and falling to the ground on her stomach unable to move.

Seeing Stiles' vulnerability, Kate rolled away from Stiles, only to crouch down ready to attack.

Kate doesn’t get a chance make her attack due to the black wolf reacting quickly and already jumping over Stiles to attack Kate.

It took her down, snarling and biting as Kate screamed and tried to crawl away from the wolf, which was slowing transforming into a man.

As the wolf transformed, Scott and the others were shocked to see a naked Derek Hale staring down the fallen were-jaguar.

"You were..." Kate babbled in shock as she still backed away, "You were dead."

"No." Derek said with a victorious smug smile, "I was evolving. Something you'll never do."

The berserker that had been fighting against the hunters, randomly appeared from the shadows making its way to attack once more, but Derek was quick to sense it coming and able to intervene and avoided the claws and instead grabbed onto its skull mask with both hands – ripping it in two pieces without a struggle. With a flash of yellow light the berserker turned to dust.

Kate scrambled to her feet away to retreat. She doesn't get far as Chris quickly moved closer to them and took aim and fired another yellow wolfsbane bullet. It made impact in her leg and sent Kate flying back onto the dusty street. She managed to get up and run inside the church.

"You're alive." Stiles' voice echoed through the quiet air. Derek turned to see red markings on Stiles' back. Only they were no longer jagged ones, like they always had been. Instead, they took form of a familiar shape. It was the same marking as the tattoo on his back. The Triskelion glowed a bright red on hers as well, before disappearing.

Derek moved quickly to her side, turning her over to where she could actually see him, "You...ass," Stiles huffed tiredly, "You died on me..."

"Stiles-"

Stiles cuts him off as she managed to lift herself up and kissed him heavily. Derek wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. When they pull away, Stiles' eyes have a purple glow.

* * *

Kate had made it deep into the church, but both Chris and Allison were following her. Chris kept shooting at her even as he was close to running out of ammo. Kate stopped at a dead end and faced her former family.

"You want to kill me, Chris?" Kate asked when she stopped running, "Allison?"

"No." Allison told her, but she still had her bow pointed at her, "But we don't want to save you anymore either." Allison told her aunt in a hard tone. Kate turned to her brother for some confirmation.

"Is this true?" Kate asked her brother.

"I don't know that you're worth saving." Chris told her without a hint of remorse. He still had his gun trained on her.

"Just like when we were kids." Kate said with a slow nod, "Always trying to make me the bad guy." She said to her brother, "You can't see them clearly anymore, can you?" She looked between her brother and her niece, "Scott's not your little hero." She spat at them, "None of 'em are. They're all monsters."

"The only monster I see is you." Chris told her.

"They nearly killed you Allison." Kate reminded her niece, "They killed your  _mother_."

"You just tried to kill me last night,” Allison reminded her, “And my mother died  _honoring_  the family code." Allison corrected her, "Something you and Gerard never did."

"We operate under a new code." Chris said to his sister.

"We protect those who can't protect themselves."

But it doesn't seem to move Kate one bit, "You're not gonna kill me." Kate told them, shaking her head at them, "And you're not gonna catch me." Kate said panting as she made her way through her former family, "Not you." She groaned getting closer to the exit, "Not Peter. And not the Calaveras."

Neither one of the Argents followed her.

* * *

As morning dawned, everyone was out of the temple and the church. The Calaveras family were loading up their weapons into their vehicles.

"There's enough yellow wolfsbane to keep Peter out for the trip back." Chris informed them as he watched Derek loaded his unconscious uncle into the back of his vehicle.

"You're really going with them?" Stiles asked the Argents and Isaac when she realized that both of them and the werewolf had packed up their weapons with them, "Including Isaac?"

"I made a deal with the Calaveras weeks ago. They agreed for Isaac and Allison to come along." Chris informed the pack, "They'll leave you alone. All of you." He looked over at Scott, "But only if we help them catch Kate."

"What if you can't?" Kira asked him.

"We'll find her." He assured them, "Someone has to."

* * *

Braeden had just finished loading up her weapons, "So you're not really a U.S. Marshal, are you?" A voice asked her from behind. She turned to see Stiles looking right at her with a knowing glance and a smile on her face.

"I was." Braeden admitted to her, "But I spent too long looking for one person." She confessed, "It's hard to keep a job when part of it becomes an obsession."

"Who were you after?" Stiles questioned her.

"All I know is a code name." Braeden shared with her, "The Desert Wolf."

* * *

Chris and the others left to give Scott and Allison some privacy, "So I guess this is goodbye again?" Scott asked Allison, who had remained quiet the entire time.

"It looks that way." Allison told him, giving him a sad look, "I wish it didn't have to be this way."

"Me neither."

“Who knows, maybe I’ll be back again soon.”

Scott gave her a tilted smile, “Yeah, maybe.”

Together Scott and Allison had their final kiss and embraced each other.

* * *

Stiles and Isaac watched as the others were finishing getting ready for the trip back to Beacon Hills by Derek's car, "I can't believe you're leaving, but at the same time it doesn't surprise me."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because you and the Argents work well together." Stiles told him, "You did with the Darach and when we save Micah…It only makes sense."

A silence fell over them, "So what lie are you going to tell Coach about me not being around?"

Stiles smirked, "Don't worry, I'll think of something."

"You always do." Isaac agreed throwing an arm over her shoulder pulling her close.

"I'm gonna miss you," Stiles shared with him, leaning into him, "Stay in touch baby beta."

"You're not gonna stop calling me that are you?"

"Probably not." Stiles informed him.

"Figures."

* * *

On the way back to Beacon Hills, Stiles made a point to look out the window while Derek drove. Even though she hasn't said anything to Derek since the battle she could feel Derek's annoying pestering through the link, "I'm not talking to you." Stiles told him, refusing to look in his direction.

"That wouldn't be a first." Derek commented with a head tilt as he drove, "You can't ignore me forever."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Stiles-"

"No, Derek, I thought you died..." Stiles shot at him, finally turning away from the window, "I  _felt_  it. I literally felt you stop breathing and it...it was horrible. Honestly, I'm not sure if it was because Landon predicted it or if it was part of the blood exchange-"

"It was probably a bit of both."

"That's not helping your case right now." Stiles countered annoyed, "You knew you were going to die!"

"I did," Derek confessed to her, taking a hold of her hand even though Stiles didn't return the gesture, "But the last time Landon told you someone was going to die you got yourself stabbed. I wasn't going to let you place yourself in danger like that again." Stiles looked ready to interrupt, but Derek doesn't give her a chance to interrupt, "It's in my nature to protect you. Just like it's in yours to try and protect everyone. Do you understand?"

Stiles squinted her eyes at him, before turning her attention back to window. A blanket of silence fell over them, "Since I pretty much turned into werewolf and went on a rage no I don’t understand. I could’ve killed everyone else after I was done with her."

“Well you only had the features due to the blood exchange,” Derek explained, “You would’ve reverted back to your normal self.”

“So it was like me having the werewolf experience without the limitations?”

“Exactly, without the limitations as well.”

Stiles looked away from the window back at Derek, "You're going to make up for that."

“I know.”

“Any idea how?”

Derek smirked looking over at her as his eyes started glowing blue, "Go on a real date with me."

In reaction, Stiles’ eyes glow the new purple, "It's a start." She commented nonchalantly. Even though Stiles returned her attention back to the desert, Derek could see a smile creep on her face just as she tightened her grip around his hand.

* * *

Noshiko met with Kira at the school after bell had rang, "The shard of obsidian that you brought back, Kira." Noshiko told her with pride in her voice, "There's a reason you kept it and a reason your father took the liberty of making an alteration to it."

Noshiko handed Kira black stone that was shaped into a hira-shuriken known more commonly as a throwing star.

"Do you know what it is?" She asked her.

"A tail." Kira said with a smile.

"Your first." Noshiko informed her.

* * *

At the school in the locker room, Liam was trying to explain the reason as to why Stiles, Scott, Liam, and Kira missed not only a lacrosse game, but some practices as well, "Then Stiles said that Scott and Allison were stuck in Mexico and Kira was the only one who knew how to get there which was they missed the game." Liam explained.

"Yeah," Stiles agreed, "So we went down to Mexico to drive them back from Mexico and that's why we all missed practice." Coach Finstock narrowed his eyes at her, "'Cause...We were all in Mexico."

He looked at Stiles with some suspicion, before turning his attention to Scott, "You took Allison on a date to Mexico?"

"It was our first real date." Scott said lamely as he got stared at intensely.

"In Mexico?" Coach Finstock repeated once more.

"They wanted to do something special." Stiles interjected jumping to Scott's defense, "Since it would be their first one since she got back from France."

Coach Finstock looked at Liam, Scott, and Stiles questionably, "Okay. I believe you." He told them.

The werewolves and Stiles tried really hard not show the shock on their faces, "Really?" Stiles couldn't help, but ask.

"Absolutely not." Finstock said strongly, "But I've had experiences south of the border that would knock the genitals off you." They all made displeasured faces, but they went unnoticed by Coach.

"Still, let me be clear to you two." Coach Finstock said gesturing between Scott and Stiles, "This kid's the best talent I've seen in years. So he's your responsibility now." He said placing a hand on Liam's shoulder, "You're the Triple Threat and you are gonna stick together." He told them, "You're gonna look out for each other and you're gonna have each other's backs." He lectured them, "You got it?"

Scott and Stiles looked over at Liam with a smile, "We got it." Scott told him.

Coach was just about to walk away, but he did a double take to Scott and Stiles, "Sorry to hear your significant others both dumped you and ran off with each other at the same time. Obviously a trip to Mexico wasn't a way to go." Coach doesn't even wait for Scott and Stiles to reply as he walked away.

"Oh Coach." Stiles commented quietly.

* * *

Peter was still woozy from the yellow wolfsbane when he found himself in a Plexiglas cell on the secret supernatural floor in Eichen House, "You actually think this is gonna hold me?" He roared aloud as he started to bang on the glass, but realized that it was useless, "You think you can shoot me up with wolfsbane, make me _docile_ _and_ _weak_ ," This time Peter smashed his fist into the glass, but it too was useless, "And I won't find a way out?"

In response to Peter's challenge a new voice filled the very room he was in, "It's not just the wolfsbane." Peter's cellmate told him, "It's the mountain ash wood framework of the cells. It's all around us."

"Who the hell are you?" Peter asking in an unfriendly tone.

"I could tell you." The cellmate told him as he stood up from the bed, "But it's easier if I just... show you." Peter's cellmate then stepped into the lightening and Peter could see that he was sporting a bandage around his head.

Wordlessly, the man then removed bandage that had been wrapped around his head and opened his "third eye"

Peter suddenly threw himself onto the clear wall the cell and screamed. His screams echoed along with the other trapped supernatural beings.

* * *

At the Sheriff's station, Landon handed over a book to Deputy Parrish. Of course, the deputy gave him a confused look, "This used to be on a hard drive." He explained to him as he opened up the book to the Kanima section, "But we eventually decided it might be a good idea to have a hard copy around. So we put it in a book."

"What is it?"

"It's called the Bestiary." Landon explained to him, "Whatever you are, it might be in here." Deputy Parrish looked at Landon completely uncertain, "I'd like to help you figure it out."

* * *

In the Sheriff's office, Stiles was able to reunite with her father with a hug, "Dad, you smell terrible." Stiles mumbled into his shoulder.

"Yup." Sheriff Stilinski told her, "You do too." Derek stood by awkwardly when the Sheriff looked Stiles' shoulder, "Come here." He told Derek.

He too also embraced Derek, "I'm just so glad you're both safe." He said with some heavy relief, "Hey, what do you say we get outta here, get something to eat?"

"Great." Stiles chirped, "I'm starving."

"Okay." He told them. As they broke up the hug Stiles realized that she couldn't move nor could she materialize her way free. She quickly realized that she had been handcuffed to a desk.

"Yo, Daddy?" She tried to get her father's attention, but he was too busy focusing on Derek.

"What's your favorite food?" The Sheriff asked him as he led the way out the station.

"Uh, pizza." Derek told him also ignoring Stiles' protest.

"Hey!" She yelled at them, but neither one of them paid her any attention. She tried to yank of the handcuff, but it made a clanging sound as it was unable to be broken, "Dad?" She tried, but got no answer, "Derek?" Still she was ignored, "You two aren't supposed to be ganging up on me!"

 _I hope he comes through with his threat_  Stiles sent to Derek as she still doesn't get a response.

 _I highly doubt you dad is going to shoot me considering how I protected you in Mexico_  Derek sent back to her. Stiles could hear the mocking tone underneath.

_Wait till I get my hands on you!_

Stiles could practically hear the laughter coming from Derek,  _I love you too_.

_Bring me back a slice at least._

_Maybe._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well that's it guys. The New Hellmouth: The Benefactor is officially over. Thanks for dealing with this rewrite. Probably the hardest one ever since I didn't actually watch the season, but I hope everything was to your liking.
> 
> It's been a Hale of a ride!
> 
> The New Hellmouth: The Dread Doctors P.S.A
> 
> SEASON 5 SNEAK PEEKS AND UPDATES CAN BE FOUND HERE: [tumblr](http://iKnightWriter.tumblr.com/)  
> Tagged as
> 
> Tagged as TNH: The Dread Doctors
> 
> If you have questions or any request (that I can hopefully do) for the upcoming season let me know
> 
> Until next time
> 
> Byieee!


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